The Eva Chronicles
by Emi-Lynn
Summary: A slow developing love story between two men struggling with what life throws at them, creating a unique family along the way. NCIS AU fan fiction, starts at the end of Season 10 and wanders into AU territory mid-season 11. McNozzo, PapaGibbs.
1. Chapter 1

The Eva Chronicles

Smiling, Gibbs looked around the bullpen. DiNozzo was now in Israel, but he had his team back. He'd missed them more than he could say, even if he'd been a man of words. A disappointed sigh from across the aisle caught his attention. "Problem, McGee?"

"Not really, well, not anything to do with work."

Gibbs gave him the keep talking look and McGee shrugged, giving in. "Now that we're back at work, I'm house hunting again. That was my realtor, the inspector canceled on us."

"When were you supposed to go?"

"Tomorrow morning. She's trying to get someone else lined up. I don't know, maybe it's a sign that I'm not supposed to do this."

"Home of your own, that's an important step. Keep the appointment; I'll go with you."

"Really?" McGee had that surprised look that still made him look impossibly young. "Wow, thanks, Boss. This house has all been re-done, but there's something about it I can't put my finger on."

"Then a set of fresh eyes is just what you need."

"Yeah, that's what I was hoping. There's been one inspection, but he didn't seem that thorough."

"But you like the house?"

McGee hesitated, which threw up a red flag for Gibbs. "It's a nice house in a good neighborhood. It'll be a good investment."

"But?"

"Delilah likes it but I'd kinda hoped to find a house that wasn't quite that done. I mean, I don't want to do a full remodel, but it would be kind of nice to do the painting and that sort of stuff. You know, make it my own. Seems kind of a waste to paint something that's already been freshly painted." His computer dinged and McGee turned his attention to the search he was running while Gibbs thought about it. He'd never considered McGee the home improvement type, but the young man was growing, expanding, and Gibbs was glad to see it.

-NCIS-

McGee was in the middle of a battle when Skype pinged him, so he quickly killed the Orc and paused his game. "Hey, Tony."

 _Hey, McGee. I didn't wake you up, did I?_

"Nah, I'm just playing some games to wind down. You okay? Is Ziva still all right?"

 _Yeah, I'm fine and so is Ziva now that people have stopped trying to kill her._

"That always helps." Tim watched Tony's guarded expression on the screen. "Tony, what is it?" He waited while Tony seemed to try and sort out his thoughts.

 _Being here with her, away from the job and the rules... not sure I can pretend anymore._

"About being in love with Ziva?"

 _You knew?_

"How long have the two of us worked together? The three of us? Have you talked to her about it yet?"

 _We're dancing around it, getting closer though. Do me a favor, okay?_

Tim was pretty sure what was coming. "Name it."

 _The threat might be over, but I haven't officially found Ziva. I want it to stay that way for a while. I've got plenty of leave still saved up, so it's not costing the agency anything extra and, and I think we need this time. Just the two of us, to sort things out before we come back to DC._

"Is she coming back to DC?"

 _Of course. She just needs to sort through some things first. Just cover for us, please._

The expression was earnest and DiNozzo rarely said please, so Tim found himself agreeing. "I won't say a word to anyone. Just be careful, okay? I'm not there to watch your back."

 _Thanks, man._

Tony reached forward to close the link, but Tim wasn't ready. "Tony, wait a minute. Is this a good time of the day for you?"

 _It's way early, but it's probably the only time of the day when I can talk by myself._

"So, this would be a good time to talk? Keep in touch?"

 _Yeah, sure, that works. Talk to you tomorrow?_

"Tomorrow."

-NCIS-

Thanks for coming, Boss. I really appreciate it."

Gibbs just nodded as he sipped his coffee. It hadn't been required, but the cup waiting for him had been a nice touch. Sitting back, he enjoyed the ride. The house was in Maryland, but closer to DC than the tiny apartment McGee had been calling home since he'd joined the team. Pulling up, as McGee parked, Gibbs took his first look at the house. It was a farm style house on a small lot. Judging from the houses surrounding it, this had been the original home before the property was chopped up for the small subdivision.

The realtor was waiting for them and Gibbs smiled at the red hair. She didn't even wait for McGee to make the introductions, sticking her hand out as she came close. "Hi, I'm Amanda Jackson, you must be Jethro Gibbs. According to Tim, you're more knowledgeable than any inspector I could get to come in."

Grinning at the trust from his young agent, Gibbs grasped the back of his neck and lightly squeezed. "Not sure about that, but I'll make sure no one is leading him astray."

Stepping inside, Gibbs saw immediately what Tim meant about there being nothing left to do. The walls were builder's beige, the new molding were stock and painted bright white. In the kitchen, every bit of original character had been stripped out and replaced with new stainless appliances and the same cabinets and counter tops that were in hundreds of newly built homes. If he hadn't seen the outside, he'd assume he was in any of the cookie cutter homes that filled the rest of the subdivision.

Setting his tools down on the counter, Gibbs started looking around. Every outlet in the kitchen was the newer style GFI plug, which he strongly approved of, so he opened the cabinet under the sink. New pipes were evident under there, but it was as good of a place to start.

As Gibbs peered through the hole, following the plumbing into the wall, he also watched McGee. He was walking around with the realtor, but he didn't seem all that excited. Gibbs realized that he wasn't either. The soul of this old farmhouse had been totally stripped away in the extensive remodel. He couldn't see too far into the wall without cutting the hole larger, but he'd brought a small mirror with him and that showed something he wasn't expecting. Just past the neatly cut hole in the cabinet back, the new plastic pipe connected to what looked to be a very old cast iron pipe.

Suspicious now, Gibbs looked back at the plugs. Rather than pull one of the GFI outlets, he moved to the plugs in the eating area right off the kitchen. He removed the cover off of one of the outlets. The receptacle was new, but he still wasn't convinced. A few more seconds with the screwdriver and the receptacle was in his hand. "McGee, you might want to see this."

"Yeah, Boss?"

Words weren't really necessary. The brand new plug had about six inches of new wires attached, before they were connected to what looked like the original, cloth covered wiring. "Plumbing's the same way. Just past where it's visible, it goes back to the old pipes. No way in hell any of this is really up to code."

They both looked over at Amanda, who was already on her phone. After listening to her ream out someone on the other end, Gibbs packed up his tools. McGee looked only slightly disappointed so Gibbs stepped closer. "Better to know this now before the place burns down around you."

"Thanks, Boss, you're right. I'll just keep looking."

"You want some advice?"

"Of course."

"A house is more than an investment. Find a place you love. If you're going to put that much money and sweat into a place, make sure it's worth it to you, not just your investment portfolio."

Ending her phone call, Amanda rejoined them. "Mr. Gibbs is absolutely right about that. Now that we can eliminate this one – and by the way, my manager is reporting this builder to the state – perhaps you want to consider the Tudor we looked at a few months ago. It's back on the market and I remember how much you loved that one."

When Tim hesitated, she picked up the keys. "Let me lock this place up while you think about it. We can probably take another look at it this morning. You were right about Mr. Gibbs being the best to look a place over for you."

While she turned off the lights and locked the doors, Gibbs and McGee went out to wait by Tim's car. "So, tell me the story on the Tudor."

"It... it won't work for me."

There was no mistaking the wistful expression on McGee's face so Gibbs dug deeper. "Why? Sounds like you really liked it."

"I did, I do. Everything but the location."

"Bad neighborhood?"

"No, it's a really nice neighborhood."

"Lousy commute?"

"No, the commute wouldn't be bad at all."

Gibbs frowned and stared as he tried to think what the problem would be. Eventually, McGee would tell him. It took just a few seconds before Tim sighed.

"People would probably take it the wrong way. I mean, Tony would just tease, but Abby will probably take it the wrong way."

It just took Gibbs a few seconds to put it together. McGee was talking about his neighborhood. "How close to my place is it?"

"We'd share a fence."

There was only one Tudor on the entire block. "Behind me? That big brick Tudor?"

"Yeah."

Gibbs thought about it. He hadn't realized McGee's house budget was that large, but it actually made sense. He'd spent over ten years in an apartment that was well under what he could afford, saving up to eventually purchase a home. "It's a nice place, good bones, needs some updating. I've been helping them off and on with maintenance since Harv had a stroke a few years back. Okay, let's go look at it."

Amanda looked pleased, already calling ahead as she walked to her car, so Gibbs climbed back into Tim's car, setting his tool box behind his seat. Tim glanced over at him several times as they drove before he said anything.

"You sure you wouldn't mind?"

"When I'm old and decrepit, it'll be nice to have someone around to pick my sorry ass up off the floor."

Gibbs was teasing, but McGee looked horrified at the idea. "Boss, you're going to outlive us all."

Shaking his head, Gibbs turned serious. "I've buried enough people I love. I'm not outliving you and Tony, that's for damn sure. If you want this house, go for it. I'll deal with Abby, all right?"

"Thanks, Boss."

If Gibbs had any doubts, they were dispelled as he watched Tim while they did a walk-through on the old house. He was smiling, trailing his hand over the doorways as they walked. Harv watched Gibbs watching Tim and tilted his head slightly. Gibbs gave a slight nod and joined him a few moments later.

"He's one of yours?"

"Yep, my youngest boy."

"Hope he makes an offer. We're wanting to be heading South pretty quick and he seems like a nice young man."

Gibbs looked over and saw Amanda pulling out a stack of papers from her briefcase. "Looks like you'd better start packing."

-NCIS-

Abby was hammering up siding at the Habitat for Humanity site when she saw a familiar figure coming close. "Gibbs, are you here to help?"

It was almost noon and Gibbs held up a deli bag. "Here to feed you."

"Aww, that's so sweet." She set the hammer down and bounced over to join him at the row of tables set up for the volunteers. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"Need to talk, Abs."

"Umm, okay." She took a nervous sip of the CafPow he handed her and waited.

"Did you know that McGee's house hunting?"

Abby nodded and took the sandwich Gibbs handed her. "Yeah, well, he stopped looking when they resigned. I guess he's looking again."

"Found a place, too. A place he really loves and is looking forward to fixing up just the way he wants it."

"That's great... umm, isn't it?"

"He was going to turn it down, has been turning it down since he started looking the first time."

"Why? I mean, if he really likes the place..." Abby put the pieces together and realized why Gibbs was there on their day off. "Me?"

The tilt of the head was the only answer she needed and Abby sighed. "He's really serious about his new girlfriend. Her name is Delilah and she seems pretty perfect for him."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No." She didn't sound convincing at all and Gibbs just stared at her. Abby squirmed and blurted out the rest. "I don't want to lose my best friend, Gibbs."

"Then don't push him away, Abby. Be happy for the changes in his life because he's happy."

Abby nodded, obviously thinking. "Why did he think I wouldn't like the house he wants? It's not just because of Delilah, is it?"

"Nope." Instead of answering, Gibbs stood, kissing her forehead before he turned and left. Abby sighed again and started eating the sandwich Gibbs had brought her. She might have two of her three musketeers back so far, but things were always going to be different. It was time she grew up and accepted it.

-NCIS-

It had been a long, but productive, day but now it was time for what was becoming Tim's favorite part of the day as he sat in front of his computer. It was midnight his time, which means it was early morning there but Tony was already up and waiting, judging by how quickly the Skype call connected on his end. Tony looked good, he was getting a tan and the circles under his eyes they'd all gotten when Gibbs had been out there without them were finally gone. On the screen, Tony grinned at him.

 _Hey, McWorrywart, here I am._

Tim grinned at the familiar nickname and reached up to tap his own chin. "Too early to be shaving there, Tony?" In response, Tony rubbed at his own, slightly furry face.

 _Thinking about growing a beard, fit in better out here in the countryside._

"Does Ziva like it?"

 _Yeah, or at least she will once it gets past the prickly stage._

Tony laughed at his own joke and waggled his eyebrows as Tim just shook his head. They talked a few minutes about what Tony had done there that day instead of the official 'looking for Ziva' story line that was around the agency and Tim laughed.

"Wait a minute, she had you out there, picking olives?"

 _I'd rather pick olives than deal with the animals. What about you? How'd the house inspection go with Gibbs?_

Tim leaned back in his chair. "It took the Boss a whole five minutes to prove that the whole 'remodeling' was fake. They didn't upgrade anything, just slapped new stuff right over the old. We rescinded my offer and my realtor has already reported the contractor to the state board."

 _Damn. So, now what? Back to square one?_

The concern and anger on his behalf made Tim feel warm. "Now that you mentioned it, I put an offer in on another place and it's been accepted. We close in two weeks." There was no mistaking the surprise on Tony's face.

 _Wow, that was fast. You're really grinning, too. How'd you find it?_

"Actually, it was one of the first houses I looked at, back before Parsons ever showed up. Fell in love with the place the second I stepped inside."

 _Then why in the hell didn't you snap it up back then instead of looking at all those other places?_

Looking back, it really was kind of silly. "I was worried that people would take it the wrong way. It's in the same neighborhood as Gibbs."

 _Yeah?_ If Tony was surprised by that, he didn't show it. _So, it's not one of the fifty houses you dragged me through? Tell me about it._

Encouraged, Tim started to talk. "It's actually on the street behind Gibbs. Two story, English Tudor style with the brick and the beams, got a basement...

 _Gonna start building a boat down there, Timmy?_

"Not that kind of basement. It's mostly finished. Apparently the homeowners' son had a rock band that played down there back in the day. I'm thinking rec room and home theater."

 _Ohh, man cave. Cool, we can get Gibbs out of his basement and into yours. How big of a screen can we put up?_

Harv had been using a walker and his wife a cane, so Tim suspected that neither one of them had been down in the basement very much in recent years while well-meaning relatives stacked boxes down there in anticipation of the upcoming move to a warmer climate. "Not sure exactly. Right now it's pretty much a maze of boxes, but there's got to be a big wall down there someplace we can use. There's even a fireplace down there. Plus three on the main floor."

 _Wow, how big is this place?_

"Not counting the basement, it's over thirty-seven hundred square feet."

 _Damn. You sure you can afford it? Isn't that like, almost twice as big as that farmhouse was?_

"Yeah, it's really big, but the last time it was updated was back in the eighties. Like Gibbs said, it's got good bones and it's been maintained well, but some of the colors..." He shuddered at the memory of old carpet that covered up the original hardwood floors. "Money-wise, it ended up being a little less, but I'll have to put in a lot of sweat to make the place shine again. The upside is that I get it the exact way I want when I'm done."

 _And you'll get home remodeling lessons from Gibbs. That'll be fun to watch._

Tim rolled his eyes. "Funny, Tony. Good morning, and tell Ziva hi from me."

 _Good night, McGee._

-NCIS-

Across the ocean, Tony was still smiling, his face reflecting in the now dark screen. He'd been able to tell that Tim hadn't been all that excited about the farmhouse, trying to convince both himself and Tony that it was a good, solid investment. This house, on the other hand, brought out a passion in his friend that he rarely saw.

It would seem strange to have two of his favorite people living so close to each other, but McGee was much better about having him under foot for no reason than Gibbs was and turning that new basement into a proper man-cave would be a great project for the three of them. He heard a noise behind him and turned in time to see Ziva lean against the door frame, wearing a smile and nothing else.

"How is McGee?"

"He's good." Tony never told her many details and she never pried into their sometimes strange relationship.

"Good, then come back to bed for a while. We do not have to be up for hours." Smiling, she turned back to walk into the bedroom, making a showing of swaying her ass as she did. Tony didn't have to be asked twice.

-NCIS-

"Morning, Boss." Smiling, Tim set a cup down on Gibbs' desk. "Thanks for the help and the reality check yesterday. Tony's really happy for me. I think he's already checking out home theater set-ups for the basement."

"So, no boat?"

"Nah, I'll leave the boat building to you." Tim was still holding a big red cup and held it up for Gibbs to see. "I'm going to go downstairs and say good morning to Abby." Gibbs just nodded as he enjoyed his coffee.

Stepping out of the elevator, Tim took a deep breath before walking to the lab. Abby's current favorite band was playing, actually blasting through the speakers, and she was bouncing along as she calibrated her babies for the day.

"Hey, Abs."

"McGee!" It was almost a squeal as she rushed him and gave him a hug. Tim managed to not lose the CafPow and handed it to her as soon as she let go. "Oh, thanks, I so need this today. I've got to review the lab work for all the cases from the last six months, unless you and Gibbs can manage to snag a new case today. But enough about my hatred of paperwork, I heard you bought a house finally."

She didn't seem too upset so McGee relaxed and teased her a little bit. "So, did a little mouse tell you?"

"No, it was a silver fox with blue eyes. Now come on, spill. Tell me all about it."

"Big, four bedrooms. Solid, but I should probably buy stock in a home improvement store because it needs a lot of updating." So far she still seemed okay so he hit her with the rest. "And Gibbs is going to be one of my new neighbors."

That seemed to stop her in her tracks for a moment. "Really? Like, how close?"

"Umm, real close."

"Can you actually see his house from the one you're buying?"

Both places had a lot of trees in their back yards, but from the upstairs bathroom window, there actually was a partial view. It would be even better when the landscaping plan he was working on was put into place. "Yeah, kinda." Much to his surprise, she squealed again and threw her arms around him, knocking him back a few feet.

"Oh, McGee, that is so great."

"It is?"

"Yes. The next time he's being stubborn about letting us help him with something, we can all crash at your place and keep an eye on him."

Tim didn't think that would actually work well in real life, but he wasn't going to argue with her about it. "Yeah, umm, okay."

Abby pulled back and started drinking down the CafPow. "So, do you have a move-in date yet? When does escrow close?"

"I get the keys the Friday after next, move in that weekend."

"Wow, that's fast."

"Yep. They're in a hurry and I'm pre-approved. All we have to wait for is the title company to finish the documents."

"Cool." Abby snapped off a slightly crooked salute. "Weekend after next, I'll be there, ready to work."

Returning to the squad room, McGee found Gibbs smirking at him. "Looks like you survived."

"Just fair warning – next time Abby thinks you're doing something you're not supposed to be doing, she's planning on spying from my place. In fact, she's planning on everybody staying at my house to keep an eye on you."

"I can buy curtains, McGee."

That just made Tim laugh. "Jethro Gibbs inside a decorator's store. That..." He seemed to realize that he'd been on the verge of teasing his boss. "I'm sure you have excellent taste, Gibbs."

Gibbs didn't answer, but he did hide his lower face behind a file he was now carefully reviewing.

-NCIS-

It was now the middle of the week and the paperwork was all caught up so Gibbs was trying to find a cold case that they could actually make some headway on. Having the team temporarily down to just the two of them had given him a chance to get to know his quiet junior agent better, but they were both getting restless from sitting at a desk for eight plus hours a day. The one in his hand from Vance looked promising, a possible drug smuggling case aboard the Naval Support Activity's Northwest Annex in Chesapeake.

If nothing else, the drive would get them away from the Yard for the better part of the day. "Grab your gear, let's go."

Once they were down in the parking lot, Gibbs handed the file to McGee. "Read up while I drive."

They were still in DC when Gibbs noticed a sudden change in McGee's breathing. Looking over, the young man seemed to be on the verge of some sort of panic attack. They were coming up to an exit and Gibbs quickly left the freeway and pulled into the parking lot of a closed business, putting the car into park. "McGee?"

"I can't..." Tim took a deep breath, obviously trying to control his breathing. "I can't be on this case, Boss."

"Why?"

"The base commander, according to Balboa, he wasn't very cooperative. Seeing me will just make it worse."

"Why?"

"He, umm, he, let's just say that I'm really not his favorite person."

There was something suddenly very fragile about McGee, which was the only reason Gibbs wasn't demanding a straight answer. Judging from the ages, it was entirely possible that Commander Avery may have crossed paths with a very young Timothy McGee while his father was deployed somewhere. No matter what, his gut was screaming. "You and he have a history?"

"Please don't be mad at me."

Gibbs wished they were back aboard the Yard where he could have sent a discreet message to Ducky for help. "I'm not mad, Tim. Just tell me who he is to you."

"He is, was, my father-in-law."

Gibbs shut off the engine. "You were married? That's not in your file."

"Neither was your marriage to Shannon." Tim seemed to freeze as he realize what he'd just said, but Gibbs understood what wasn't being said.

"Talk to me, Tim." He waited and eventually Tim started talking.

"Sam and I grew up together. I was the youngest by a couple of years, but since I got moved up in school, we were only one class apart. We were best friends for a long time and then we were more."

Gibbs was suspicious, but needed confirmation. "Sam as in Samantha, or..."

"Samuel. Samuel Eric Avery. Both of our dads expected us to go to the Naval Academy. I got a scholarship, enough to pay for college, that was my way out."

"And Sam, what was his way out?"

Tim shook his head. "He wanted to keep the peace, so he went to Annapolis. Once he was in, he couldn't just drop out, he'd have to pay back the equivalent of his tuition, but some things happened and he said he wasn't going to live the lie anymore. He – let himself get outed."

Gibbs thought back to the policies back then. An officer in those circumstances would have been asked to resign his commission. A cadet... "Let me guess, he was forced to quit, but they didn't go after him for tuition to keep everything quiet."

"Pretty much. He was ready to take his final exams and they let him do that if he agreed to work as a private DoD contractor for the same five years the Navy would have required of him. His family is practically Naval royalty, like mine, so that kept things quiet. Vermont was the only place in the US that had civil unions, so we eloped the week after it was settled."

Gibbs was sure that there wasn't some husband still hidden away, so that couldn't have been the end of the story. "What happened?"

Tim rubbed at his eyes for a moment. "After I finished my bachelor's degree and was working on my masters, he was invited to join a team that was going to be working in Europe for a few years with NATO. We talked about it and decided to take it. I found a university there that I could transfer to so I could finish my masters. I'd have to take a few of my classes over, but it would have been worth it. Parts of Europe were a lot more accepting back then; the Netherlands was even allowing same sex marriages by that point.

"We had to be in Europe by the middle of September of 01, so we arranged to fly out of LaGuardia. Our two grandmothers were the only members of our families that really accepted us, so we went to visit his grandmother. She, umm, her office..."

"Oh, McGee." Gibbs had already put the pieces together, but he was praying that he was wrong. He laid his hand on McGee's shoulder in silent support as the other man struggled with the words.

"Her office was in the World Trade Center. She didn't have a window, we didn't see it coming." The pressure against his shoulder increased and Tim gratefully reached up and grabbed Gibbs' hand. "There was just this noise, this God-awful noise that you could feel and the building shook and stuff was flying through the air. We were far enough below the actual impact point, but the debris... By the time I got up off the floor and the emergency lights kicked in... Sam... Sam was... most of his head was just gone.

"I think that if we'd been alone, I would have stayed and let the fire take me."

Gibbs silently nodded, swallowing hard. That was something he could understand. "His grandmother?"

"Hurt, too hurt to make it out on her own. I had to leave him there to get her out."

"That's what he would have wanted." As soon as the words were out, Gibbs wanted to headslap himself. Empty platitudes, no matter how well meaning, were something he hated. "Doesn't help, though, does it?"

Tim was biting his lip so hard, Gibbs was afraid it was going to draw blood. Finally he shook his head. "No, she died anyway, so it was all for nothing."

It wasn't all for nothing. It kept McGee focused and moving long enough to escape the inferno that had been closing in on him, but Gibbs knew that Tim wouldn't see it that way, not while he was reliving the memories. "Commander Avery still blames you."

McGee blinked and Gibbs could see the moment that his mind shifted back to the present. "Yeah, for everything. If I hadn't been involved with Sam, he would have been a fine Naval officer, upholding the family honor."

"Sam made his own choices."

"Last person that told Commander Avery that ended up with a broken nose."

Gibbs wasn't afraid of Commander Avery, but he wasn't about to put his agent in such a position. "Things are different now, but how did this get past your background check? Did you..." He knew McGee had the skills to do it, but Tim shook his head.

"DADT was still in effect back then and Director Morrow almost didn't hire me because of it."

"Because you were gay?" That got a ghost of a smile.

"Bi, actually. I guess that helped because I had to agree to only date women and never mention my past – relationship – to anyone."

"Morrow had no right to make those kinds of demands."

Tim shrugged, but didn't argue. "Women didn't remind me of Sam. It was easier to bury it rather than deal with sympathy from strangers every day."

That also was something that Gibbs understood all too well. "I'll send the case back to Balboa but what do you want me to tell Vance? He won't hold you to the same restrictions, you know."

"Yeah, I know, but after all this time it's just easier to only date women. Besides, Delilah and I are getting pretty close."

"Close enough to let her decorate your house?"

"Not that close." Tim finally chuckled and Gibbs could feel him start to relax. "Besides, her decorating skills suck."


	2. Chapter 2

"Need to talk."

Vance sighed. It was late enough that the kids were asleep and he was looking forward to some quiet time before he hit the rack. "And you couldn't have come up to my office during the twelve hours we were aboard the Yard today?" Gibbs just gave him the look and Vance rolled his eyes. "Fine, come in. You want a drink?"

Gibbs gave a slight nod and followed Vance into his study. After two shots of bourbon were poured, they sat down.

"This have something to do with the cold case I gave you yesterday and you handed back to Balboa today?"

Gibbs tilted his head in acknowledgment. "McGee can't be on the case."

"Why?"

"What do you know about Commander Avery?"

"Never met him. Why?"

"Should be a Rear Admiral at least by now, but he stalled at Commander. Lost both his mother and his only child, a son, on 9-11."

"Okay..." Vance wasn't seeing the connection yet.

"He blames McGee, blames him for everything."

"What did McGee do?"

"Absolutely nothing wrong."

"Gibbs, you can't dump something like this on my lap and not tell me the rest. It'll be off the record. At least I'm assuming the reason you showed up at my house this late at night is to keep this off the record."

Gibbs pursed his lips and bobbed his head a few times and Vance braced himself, preparing for the worst. "Commander Avery was McGee's father-in-law."

"But you said Avery only had... oh." Vance shook his head. "Okay, I didn't see that one coming. Obviously, he's pretty deep in the closet."

"Yeah, well," Gibbs looked a little uncomfortable with the conversation, too, which made Vance feel a little better. "He's bi, not gay, and Morrow made staying in the closet and only dating women requirements of his employment with the agency."

"Well, shit."

"Yeah."

Wishing he'd poured himself a double, Vance thought about their options. "Okay, the case will go back into Balboa's stack of cold cases. If he complains, I'll think of something. I hope McGee understands that times are different and I run a much more open ship. If he wants to come out, the Agency will support him in every way possible."

"Appreciate that, Leon, and I know McGee does too, but he's finally moved on from losing Sam and wants to keep it that way. Probably because he's finally in a serious relationship and this time it's with a woman. Just – just didn't want you asking questions tomorrow."

"Understood. McGee alright? It must not have been easy for him to tell you. At least I'm hoping that he told you and you didn't find out aboard the base."

"Yeah, he told me as soon as he saw Avery's name on the report. Good thing, too. Guy's got a history of violence when it comes to anybody mentioning his son's life choices."

Vance could only imagine how it would have ended if Avery had seen McGee and taken a swing at him. Just to be safe he mentally banned his top team from anything that went down aboard Naval Support's Northwest Annex.

-NCIS-

"Go back to sleep." Tony kissed Ziva's shoulder as he slid out of bed.

"Do you have to talk to McGee every night? Why not let him be the one to wake up in the middle of the night instead?"

Their agreed upon call time was very early in the morning for Israel but still pretty late in the evening for DC. Tony hadn't wanted to cause McGee too much lost sleep since he was the one actually working at the moment, so that had been their compromise. "He's the one that's got to be awake enough to face Gibbs in the morning. Besides, I thought you liked it when I come back to bed?"

"Your feet are always cold."

Instead of arguing, Tony made a show of putting on his heaviest pair of socks before padding out to the computer. Tim had sounded down when they'd talked yesterday and he wanted to make sure his friend was all right.

Today, when McGee's face appeared on the screen, he looked better, more like himself. "Hey, there's my favorite probie."

 _Aren't I your only probie? Therefore, logically..._

"Yeah, yeah, semantics, Mr. Spock." Tony mentally patted himself on the back. McGee always smiled when he managed to work a sci-fi reference into their conversation, especially if he got it right. Judging from the grin, he'd nailed this one. "You look better."

It wasn't until these Skype calls that Tony had realized just how good at deflection McGee had become, but he let it slide as he launched into an elaborate story about his and Ziva's lunch with some of the local farmers. Whatever was going on back home, the best help Tony could give would be to make Tim laugh, so that was the goal.

-NCIS-

His fingers were beginning to cramp from all the pages to sign, but the moment was finally here and Amanda was dangling the keys in front of him. "Okay, Tim, the house is all yours."

He laughed as the keys landed in his palm. "Well, mine and the mortgage company." A great deal of time and research had gone into determining how large of a down payment to make and how much of his cash to hold onto for the upgrades. In the end, his monthly payment was one he was very comfortable with but seeing the large balance on the loan papers had given him a near heart attack.

"True." Judging from her smile, she'd seen this reaction a lot. "Just remember, every payment you make is building your own equity instead of your landlord's. Besides, come tax time, it will be even better."

"Yeah." He knew all that, but the reminder helped. Tim stood, keys firmly held in his left hand as he offered her his right. "Thank you so much for all your help. I know I wasn't the easiest client you've ever had."

She shook her head. "Easy clients aren't nearly as much fun. Besides, I owe you and your boss. After he found all that fake wiring in the first house our agency pulled out of a possible business partnership with the builder. That could have been a disaster."

"Whatever happened with that place?" Honestly, he'd put it out of his mind the moment they walked away from it, but now he was curious.

"You didn't hear?" When he shook his head, she handed him a copy of a newspaper, dated a few days prior. "Page seven."

Tim stared at the black and white picture of the charred remains of a familiar house before quickly scanning the article. "Oh, my God. An electrical fire?"

"Yes. Luckily, no one was hurt and the only one to take a loss is the builder that did the shoddy work. Apparently there was original knob and tube wiring in the attic floor that was still live."

"Wow." He started to hand the paper back but she waved it off

"Give that to your boss and tell him that if he ever wants a job as an inspector, come see me. The guy's got great instincts."

Laughing, Tim folded the paper up. "If you think that was great, you should watch him interrogate a suspect, but I'll let him know."

-NCIS-

An hour later, Tim pulled into his own driveway. Killing the engine, he leaned against the wheel and just looked as a bolt of excitement went through him. It was his. No more neighbors sharing a wall. No more landlords and their kids coming into his home whenever they wanted. This was his, he could paint the walls any color he wanted. He could hang up anything on the walls without permission. He could run his shredder or play a computer game at any time of the day or night. He couldn't wait to get started.

He'd swung by his apartment long enough to change his clothes and grab what he needed for the night. The truck rental was all set up for tomorrow, so tonight he was camping in his new house.

It was different to see the house without all the furniture, now that the previous owners were gone. Tim walked through his new home, getting a better feel of the potential. The formal living room wasn't overly big, he'd known that from the first day, but it felt much more spacious without the massive sectional and three overstuffed chairs that had literally filled the room before.

After circling the room once, Tim got to work. He'd brought a step ladder with him. It wasn't quite enough to get to the nine foot ceilings, but the three steps were enough to reach the curtain rods easily. He knew the top third of each window had a leaded glass insert, but the current draperies prevented them from being seen from the inside. Dropping the fabric onto the floor instantly filled the room with not only light but scattered bits of color as the late afternoon sun refracted through the beveled glass.

Tim grinned at the already dramatic change. "Oh, yeah."

-NCIS-

Gibbs had let him go early that day so by the time the older man showed up, Tim was deep in his work. A dumpster was being delivered, so Gibbs had to park on the street. He could have parked at his own place and walked, but he had food and beer to celebrate the new house.

"McGee?" The front door was not only unlocked, it was open, so Gibbs just yelled as he went in. There was a lot of dust in the air, which explained the open door.

"In here, Boss." The voice came from his right and Gibbs looked into the living room where the younger man was on the floor, rolling up strips of the old carpet.

"Guess you're not keeping the carpet. Come on and eat while the food's hot." Gibbs continued on in to the kitchen and set the box on the island counter top. Tim arrived a few seconds later, brushing himself off as he went straight to the sink to wash up.

"Thanks, Boss." Tim accepted a beer before going through the cartons of Chinese food. "I'm starving."

They both filled paper plates with food before sitting on the floor of the breakfast nook right off the kitchen. Gibbs looked over at the carpet the covered the floor of the family room. "I figured as much. You pulling up all the carpet?"

"Yeah. Got a guy coming tomorrow to see if the old floors can be refinished or if we're laying new hardwood. It's a whole lot easier to deal with the floors when there's no furniture."

That explained the dumpster. "Sounds good. Between the two of us, we can probably get most of the downstairs done before the crew arrives tomorrow to help you move in." Gibbs thought for a moment. You sure you want to move your stuff over this weekend?"

"Yeah. If I can be totally out of the apartment before Monday, it'll save me about fifteen hundred bucks, so we're just going to stack everything in the garage for now."

"Okay, that shouldn't take too long, then they can help us with the rest of the carpet." The knowing grin on McGee's face told Gibbs that he was already planning on it.

One thing was right, it was a lot easier to pull up the carpet when the house was empty. By 2200, the living room, dining room, halls and family room were bare wood. They'd even pulled up the vinyl floor in the kitchen to find the same wood underneath. All that was left on the main floor was the master bedroom suite, but it was late and Gibbs didn't want McGee stepping on a missed staple in the middle of the night. "This looks like a good place to stop for the night."

"This just leaves us the bedrooms, the stairs and the upstairs hallways tomorrow. With everybody here, that shouldn't take too long. Especially since we can toss the carpet out the bonus room window."

Gibbs had noticed that the dumpster was directly below the window. "Good idea. Is there carpet in the bonus room?" He honestly couldn't remember, now that he thought about it.

"Nah, it's that peel and stick fake tile. I'll probably change it later, but that's pretty low on the list." Tim turned serious for a moment. "Thanks, Boss, I couldn't have gotten this far without your help."

Remembering what he'd learned from Amanda earlier, he pulled the newspaper article out of his bag. "Actually, I'd really have been in trouble without your help. Take a look at this."

It took Gibbs a few seconds to place what he was looking at. "Is that..."

"Yeah. Apparently the old knob and tube wiring couldn't handle the new load."

"Crap." That kind of negligence bordered on criminal. "Tell me no one else had bought it."

"Nope, so the builder is the one to take the loss."

"Good."

"But if you ever want a career change, apparently Amanda will hire you as an inspector." Tim grinned at him. "And she is a red head."

Gibbs grinned back at him. "Maybe after I'm forced to retire."

-NCIS-

After an offer of his sofa, Gibbs left for the night and McGee spent an hour scrubbing the master bathroom down. It was clean to begin with, but it seemed the natural thing to do before he took his shower and got ready to spend his first night in his new home. He was in his sweats and still drying his hair when Skype pinged him on his phone. Tony grinned at him, then started to look past him.

 _Hey, McHomeowner, are you at your new place?_

"Yeah, I got the keys this afternoon so Gibbs and I spent a couple of hours pulling up carpet. Can you believe that the original mahogany floors are in pretty good shape?"

 _Cool. So, what, you have them refinished and they're good to go?_

"Looks that way, at least that's what I'm hoping. Got someone coming tomorrow to give me an estimate."

 _So, give me the tour._

"What?"

 _You're on your phone, right? Walk around the house, let me see it._

"Okay." Tim felt a little strange at first, but he got into it quickly, turning the phone to show Tony as he walked into each room. "This is the master bedroom and look, there's a fireplace over here. The room is kind of L-shaped and this is the sitting area." After showing that corner, he turned the phone slowly to pan all the way around before facing the screen again.

 _That's huge. What do all the doors go to?_

Tim circled around again. "The door next to the fireplace goes out onto the covered back porch. Those two doors go into the master bath and the walk-in closet."

 _Wait a minute, let me see the closet._

Grinning, Tim walked over there. Technically both doors went into the bathroom, but the closet was just inside and to the left of the far door. He heard Tony whistle at the size of the closet and turned to phone back to see him.

 _Damn, McGee, that closet looks bigger than my bedroom._

"Tony, I've seen your bedroom. That's not saying much." They both laughed and Tim walked back out into the bedroom to show Tony more. "This goes into what was designed as a nursery. Look, there's another porch out these French doors."

 _Wow, a ready made nursery. So, does that mean you and Delilah are going to get started on some smart kids to fill it?_

Blushing, Tim scratched at the side of his face. "Not yet. I think I'll turn it into my office for a while, instead." Tony laughed at his reaction.

 _If I don't have any nieces and nephews to spoil yet, then show me the rest. Let's see the kitchen and the basement._

Glad he had a full charge on his phone, Tim started walking and talking his way through the rest of the house.

-NCIS-

"Okay, what's the plan?" Palmer rolled his sleeves up, ready to work, as they all arrived at McGee's apartment parking lot. A rental truck was backed into the spot closest to McGee's apartment. McGee came around the back of the truck, startling Jimmy, while Gibbs, Abby, Ducky and Dorneget all chuckled at him.

"You in a hurry, Palmer?"

"It's a weekend and we're not on call."

"Breena has plans for you, Jimmy?"

He blushed slightly at Abby's question. "She ordered a bunch of new lingerie, so I hope she does."

The entire group laughed at the lone married man and Gibbs watched McGee for his reaction. If he hadn't been looking for it, he never would have seen the brief flash of something that crossed his eyes. It was gone just as quickly and McGee pointed up to his door at the top of the outside stairs. "Everything's boxed, ready to go. We should be able to get all of it there in one load."

True to his word, the apartment was filled with stacks of boxes and little else. Tim explained as he picked up his first box. "Most of the furniture I'm replacing, so no point in lugging it over there. The charity truck was here first thing this morning."

"And that explains why we're getting such a late start this morning." Ducky exchanged a knowing smile with Gibbs before he picked up a smaller box of kitchen utensils. His main job today would be sitting with the truck while the younger members of the team schlepped boxes and the remaining furniture down the stairs, but he could take at least one box with him.

As McGee had promised, everything fit into the truck in one load. Gibbs offered to drive the truck but McGee subtly reminded him that as the actual renter of the box truck, he was the only one authorized to drive it. That stopped the argument before it could start and soon they were on their way. For the rest of them, it seemed strange to pass Gibbs' street, then turn at the next corner.

Tim carefully backed the truck in next to the dumpster while the rest of them found parking on the street. The men moved straight to the truck while Abby stood on the sidewalk and stared at the house. "McGee, this place is beautiful, and it's so big."

Apparently realizing how her words could sound, she looked at Gibbs, who just shook his head. "Shannon's favorite part of buying where we did was the fact that we backed up against a high end neighborhood. Got the good schools, got the great parks, but didn't have to pay for the really expensive house or the extra big lot. I'm perfectly happy letting McGee pay the extra property taxes for all that."

"Appreciate that, Boss." The tone was dry, but there was a wide grin on McGee's face as he joined them. "So, what do you think, Abby? Worth all the years of living in that tiny apartment?"

"Well, let's see the inside, first."

Palmer handed her a box and they all went inside, following McGee as he looped around to the garage. From there he opened the garage door so the rest of the trips would be shorter while the rest of them split up and explored the house.

Ducky was already bursting with ideas. "Timothy, lad, are you going to replace the kitchen cabinets? A light, bleached oak would certainly brighten the place up, then perhaps a dark counter top as a contrast. And then..."

While McGee certainly appreciated the offered advice, he already had plans and they were very different that what Ducky was suggesting. Despite those differences, he didn't want to sound insulting. "Thanks, Ducky, but after the flooring is done, I'm just going to live with the rest of it for a while, really get a feel for what I want in the place. Besides, I want to concentrate on getting as much done as I can on the outside before winter sets in."

"An excellent idea. Just remember that I am here if you need someone to bounce ideas off of, McGee."

Palmer and Dorneget were on their third load of moving boxes and furniture into the garage and Jimmy stopped to wipe his face. "So, is Tony dragging his feet in Israel to get out of helping you move?"

Tim froze for a split second. Officially, Tony was still looking for Ziva and he was the only one to know any different. Not to draw any suspicion, he went along with it. "Yeah, well, you know. Hard, dirty work."

"Speaking of missing people, where's Delilah?" Abby's voice was only slightly brittle and McGee considered that progress.

"She's in Utah for a couple of weeks at least, part of the team that's overseeing the building of the new facility there."

"Oh."

"We're dating, Abby, not joined at the hip." After the gentle rebuke Tim went back to unloading the truck, making sure the boxes were stacked in the piles he wanted and that the furniture wasn't totally buried in the process. Abby went through the house to explore the back yard and came back in just as they were finishing with the truck.

"McGee, you share a fence with the Bossman."

"Yeah, I know." He was handing out heavy duty box knives as the group dispersed to start ripping out what was left of the carpet. "What about it?"

"You could put in a gate."

Tim shook his head, not noticing that the man in question was standing behind him. "Nah, Gibbs sees me every day at work, he doesn't need me traipsing over there all the time." He handed Abby her knife. "You and Ducky cut up the carpet in the front bedroom upstairs, okay? Strips, about a foot and a half wide, then it gets rolled up and tossed out the window and into the dumpster."

"Okay, what are Palmer and Dorney doing?"

Gibbs stepped in, turning Abby toward the stairs. "They're doing the other two bedrooms up there. McGee and I are going to pull up the carpet in the master bedroom. As everybody finishes, we start on the upper hall and the stairs."

Once they were alone downstairs, Gibbs stepped closer to McGee, keeping his voice low. "There's already a gate in the fence, I put it in after Harv had his stroke so I could help them easier. I expect you to use it and to remember that it goes both ways."

"Thanks, Boss."

-NCIS-

An unfamiliar voice called out just as they were tossing the last of the old carpet into the dumpster. "Mr. McGee? Hi, I'm Randy from Flooring Unlimited."

"Hi." Tim scrubbed his hands on his pant legs quickly before offering one for a shake. "You timed it pretty good, we just finished pulling up the last of the nails and padding."

"Oh, man, that's great. You wouldn't believe how many people want us to give an estimate without even seeing what condition the floor actually is in." Randy stepped inside and let out a whistle as he bent down and ran his hand over the newly uncovered floor. "Wow, I haven't seen mahogany like this in years. This is the good stuff."

"So it's worth saving?"

"Oh, yeah. Even if it was in pretty bad shape, it would be worth it and honestly, this doesn't look bad at all. Let me do a quick walk through, find the worst areas, take some measurements and then we'll talk options." Randy wandered into the living room, already talking wood grain and hardness with Gibbs.

Ducky laughed softly and patted Tim on the back. "Jethro will make sure it's going to be done right and don't ever feel like you're imposing at all. He's having a ball helping one of his chicks finally feather their nest. Now, I think we've done all we can for you today and I believe Mr. Palmer is getting rather antsy to find out what his lovely wife has planned for the rest of the weekend so we will take our leave."

"Thanks, Ducky. Thanks, everyone. You guys made this really easy."

Everyone was smiling, but let Ducky continue to be the spokesman for the group. "It was our pleasure and we're all looking forward to some lovely evenings here when you're fully moved in and settled."

Abby's pigtails bounced as she nodded in agreement. "New Year's Eve, McGee, you're hosting."

"It's a deal."

By the time the rest of the team had left, Randy had finished his preliminary inspection. "Stripping the old finish off the floor should take care of most of the damage downstairs. There's one patch in the kitchen where they took out a wall, but the refinish should cover it. A light sanding, with a little bit more in the family room and kitchen, and we'll be ready to lay down a new finish."

"What kind of finish do you recommend?"

"If you need us done in a day, we can use a quick dry, water based urethane, but if you're willing to let us take a little longer, I'd recommend a two stage oil based urethane. We do a fine grit sanding on the floor, one thin layer of the urethane, then let it cure for twenty-four hours. Then we come back in and do a final sanding with an even finer grit and lay out a thicker coat of the urethane. If we start Monday morning, you could move furniture in on Wednesday if you're careful, but I'd suggest you wait on the heavy stuff until Thursday."

"Which would last longer?"

"The oil based by far." Behind Randy, Gibbs nodded his agreement.

"Which will look better?

"On this mahogany? The oil based, definitely."

"Okay, what about upstairs?"

"Hall and stairs are the same. Bedrooms, well, it was pretty common to put a lower grade wood in the smaller bedrooms and carpet over it. We can refinish them, but it will always show that it's a different wood. It's up to you. We see a lot of homeowners that carpet the bedrooms and just refinish the public parts of the house. Besides, carpet is warmer on bare feet in the middle of the night."

Gibbs nodded his agreement again and Tim looked at the two prices that had been written down. The oil based urethane had more labor charges, of course, but it was still well under what he'd originally budgeted and all his research had showed that the family owned company had a sterling reputation.

"Then oil based, it is, and carpet in the bedrooms, at least the upstairs bedrooms. Do you have carpet samples with you?" And can you still start on Monday?"

"I'll leave some sample books with you and our carpet guy can talk to you on Monday. Sanding crew will be here at 7am and he'll come with them."

A few signatures and a deposit later and it was a done deal. After seeing Randy out, Tim turned to Gibbs. "How about dinner, my treat?"

"Sounds good. I'll drive and then after dinner I'll show you where the gate is."

-NCIS-

Sunday morning McGee was barely out of the shower when there was a knock at the back door. Gibbs was standing there with two cups and his French press full of coffee in his hands. He laughed as Tim opened the door and immediately reached for one of the cups. He and Tony had talked for almost an hour last night and he was still dragging.

"Figured you wouldn't have your coffee maker set up yet."

Tim just nodded as he sucked down the coffee. Between researching final decorating ideas, picking a carpet and talking to Tony, it had been well past midnight before he crawled into his makeshift bed. He finally came up for air as he drained the cup. "Thanks, I really needed that."

"I guess so." Gibbs gingerly took back the empty cup and refilled it. "So, what's on the agenda today? We're working on the yard?"

"Arborist is coming at ten to look at the trees."

"There a problem?"

"Maybe, come take a look." Picking up his cup, Tim walked out onto the back porch and then across the yard. Gibbs followed along, looking around. Nothing looked too bad at first, but he saw what Tim meant when he pointed up at one of the elm trees, then two more. The leaves on the first tree were very twisted and shriveled, while the other two trees had patches of the same shriveled leaf pattern.

"Crap."

"Yeah, and whatever it is, it's spreading, so I want to deal with it as soon as possible."

"Did you know about this before you bought the place?"

"Oh, yeah, I knew. I also knew that I wanted to thin it out a little bit back here, so the arborist will tell me which trees have to go and then I can plan from there. The whole property is really overgrown, but it'll look good when it's cleaned up."

-NCIS-

Gibbs watched in amusement as Tim walked his new property with the tree specialist. Apparently one of the neighbors had lost a tree to some sort of fungus last year, but didn't realize how it could spread. Now McGee was being extremely proactive and removing every tree that was possibly infected. He'd even had the arborist check several of Gibbs' larger trees on the other side of the fence and one of those was getting trimmed just to be safe.

By the time they were done, red, blue and orange tape marked a number of trees and bushes around the property, each color indicating a different action from the tree company. Gibbs shook his head as he joined McGee once the arborist had left. "I can trim my own tree, McGee."

"I know, Boss, but it's not really costing extra to do it and that way they'll make sure all the infected branches are removed from the property. He's even trimming a few trees for Mrs. Olson." Tim pointed out the house to the right of his, where an elderly lady waved back at them.

Mrs. Olson was eighty-seven and probably one of the sweetest ladies Gibbs had ever met. Not to mention one of the best bakers. "Are you getting cookies out of the deal?"

"Peanut butter oatmeal."

"Oh, yeah, she likes you."

"She seems really nice. I haven't met the neighbors on the other side yet."

"George and Clara Young. They'll hate you, but don't take it personally. They hate everybody, or at least she does. George would rather agree with her than to argue about it."

"Good to know." Tim looked down at his own brown lawn, then at the various neighbors' lawns, also in assorted shades of brown. "Nobody waters in the summer?"

"Well," Gibbs rubbed the side of his face. He usually managed to keep his grass at least mostly green until the very last few weeks of summer, but this year had been hotter and dryer than normal and his lawn, along with most of the rest of them, was looking pretty sad. "Things stay green until about the first of August or so. Don't worry, the grass will bounce back in another month or two."

"Uh huh." McGee didn't look totally convinced, but give him a year of dealing with yard maintenance and he'd learn.

"So, what's next on the agenda?"

"Measuring."

Sure enough, McGee spent the rest of the day measuring everything in the yard, both front and back, along with the side yards. It wasn't just the distance from the back of the house to the fence, it was the exact distance between every tree, every bush, and he was doing it with a laser and a laser level and mapping it all out on a color coded grid. He was still working when Gibbs needed to go get cleaned up for his weekly dinner with Fornell.

"We're going to the diner, you want to eat with us? You gotta eat at some point."

"Thanks, but I'm going to go shopping, start picking up some tools for the yard, maybe look at paint samples for the house."

"Suit yourself. Just remember, I've got pretty much every tool you'll need and you're welcome to use them."

"Thanks Boss, but," Tim looked down at the fancy laser in his hand. "I think we kinda have different taste in tools. Plus, I've been researching appliances and I want to actually go look at what I've been reading about."

Gibbs had to laugh at the subtle reminder. "Fair enough." He studied the younger man for a moment. "You're really getting into this, aren't you?"

"I'm going to spend the rest of my life in this house. My kids eventually are going to grow up here, so, yeah, I want to do it right."

Gibbs remembered that Tim grew up as a Navy brat, probably living in base housing. "How many times did you move as a kid?"

"Too many to count. When I have kids, I want them to have a real childhood home."

"You and Delilah have been dating for a while, you thinking she's the one?"

Tim blushed and shrugged, suddenly looking like one of the young man he'd always imagined showing up to date Kelly. "We're taking things really slow, but yeah, maybe. She just might be."

"Good. Looking forward to getting you boys settled and with a family. I want to be a grandpa while I'm still young enough to wrestle with them."

-NCIS-

"You're late."

Gibbs glanced down at his watch. It was only two minutes past the hour but Fornell already had finished his first cup of coffee. "No, you were early. What's got you all knotted up?"

"You mean besides the fact that you shot me in the ass?"

Gibbs tilted his head at that; he'd probably be hearing about it for years. "Yeah, besides that."

"Emily's got a new boyfriend. He's a musician – a drummer in a grunge band." Gibbs could practically hear the quotation marks in that statement. "Make me happy, Gibbs."

"What? You want me to shoot him?"

"Sure, why not. You didn't mind shooting me." Gibbs gave him the glare and Fornell relented – a little. "Fine, but tell me something that will make me happy. What have you been doing all weekend?"

"McGee got moved into his new place, and get this, he's got the back yard all measured out – with a laser."

"A laser?" That got a ghost of a smile from Fornell. "Isn't that overkill?"

"He can tell you to within one-sixteenth of an inch exactly where every plant is. Even how far apart some of the branches are."

"Who the hell needs to know that much? Hasn't anyone ever told him that those plants are going to keep growing?" The grunge musician temporarily forgotten, Fornell leaned forward. "Okay, start at the beginning."

-NCIS-

Just inside the front doors of the big box home improvement store was a display of washers and dryers. During his online searching he'd narrowed the list down to two models of washers and their matching dryers and they both were on display. He'd picked his dream set and a more moderately priced set to look at, but the dream set was actually on sale for less than his second choice.

"Hi, can I help you?"

Tim looked over at the eager young man in the bright blue vest. "Yeah, how long is the sale going on?"

"Just through the end of the month. Are you in the market for a new set?"

"Yeah, I just bought a house, can't wait to no longer be dragging my clothes down to a laundromat, but I want to replace the floor in the utility room first."

"What's in there now?"

"Avocado green stick-on tiles."

"Yuck. Yeah, that needs to go. Either sheet vinyl or tile would be a good option."

After years of apartment living, dorm living and military housing, if he never saw vinyl flooring again, it would be too soon. "Tile, not vinyl. Maybe a stone?"

"Stone needs sealing pretty often in a utility area, but we've got some tiles that are designed to look like stone and we've got free classes on installation."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Come on, I'll take you over to that department and Steve can help you decide what your best option is."

A hands-on demo was actually going on when they arrived and after Tim laid a few pieces of tile, he decided he could do it and as Steve told him, the utility room was a good place to start, where perfectly even grout lines weren't quite as critical as they would be in the master or guest bathrooms.

"You've basically got the hang of it, but we've got a four hour class every Monday evening."

Tim signed up for the free class and picked up the scraper needed to remove the old flooring before continuing onto the garden center, which had been his original goal. On the third aisle, he found what he was looking for. "Excuse me?"

"Yes, sir?" This time the employee was a middle aged woman with a master gardener tag on her vest.

"Does this stuff really work? And it doesn't damage any new growth?"

"That bottle right there is the secret to all the perfectly green golf courses."

"Good, because I just bought a place, moved in this weekend, and the lawn is looking pretty bad right now."

"It won't hide holes in the lawn, at least not up close, but it'll make it look really good for about six to eight weeks. If you're watering regularly, now that it's starting to cool off, by then you should have fresh growth."

"I'll take it. Can you show me what I need to apply it?" Armed with a gallon of lawn dye concentrate, a sprayer to apply it, plus fertilizer, the flooring scraper and a stack of paint samples, Tim left the store. If his luck held, he could get his lawn sprayed without Gibbs seeing what he was doing and before it was too dark to see what he was doing, himself.

* * *

a/n - Glad you guys are liking this one so far. It was really different writing such a massive piece without much feedback along the way (my beta rocked, though, which was great). Yeah, the eventual pairing will be McNozzo with a lot of papaGibbs along the way.

I've been asked about my WIP's. Nothing's been abandoned, but I'll probably be working on shorter pieces for a while. It turns out that my son's back injury is much worse than they first suspected - that and the delay in treatment made it worse. He'll be having an eight hour surgery next month (Part of that delay) and they expect him to be in the ICU for up to five days after the surgery, then another week+ in the hospital. He'll recover on base for a while until he's recovered enough to fly home. Between the worry and then taking care of him, I'm not so sure how much time I'll have and how big of plots I can keep track of. I'll probably be finishing up some shorter pieces over the next few months, at least until we know what kind of a recovery he'll have. Right now they are telling him to prepare for a medical retirement and a permanent disability rating. Good thoughts would be appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Still amused by Tim's obsessive measurements of his yard, Gibbs drove around the block to see if the younger man wanted a ride to work that morning. He pulled into the driveway and stared at the lush green lawn.

"What the hell?"

Gibbs was standing next to his car when McGee came out of his house, carrying his go-bag, his phone up at his face. "Morning, Boss. Boss?"

He pointed at the grass and glared at McGee. "Explain."

Tim glanced down at the edge of his thumbnail where the dye had penetrated a small hole in his glove. "Guess I've got a little bit of a green thumb after all. I'm going to drive myself, got a class to go to tonight if we get out in time." Still grinning to himself, Tim walked over to the flooring truck that was pulling up to the curb.

Gibbs continued to stare, his head bouncing between the lawn and Tim. Finally, he shook his head and got back in his car, shaking his head and laughing.

After checking in the flooring crew and making sure they had his cell number and letting them know a tree trimming crew would also be there today, McGee also headed into work. He'd picked out the carpet for the bedrooms of the house and they'd email him the estimate later in the day. He couldn't stop grinning at the look on Gibbs' face that morning and hoped that he'd managed to get some good photos while he pretended to be on the phone.

It had taken him several hours to spray the grass and he'd had to finish up by flashlight, but it was worth it. Tony had almost hurt himself laughing when he'd told him about it over Skype late last night and was waiting for Tim to IM him this morning about Gibbs' reaction.

-NCIS-

Gibbs hadn't even sat at his desk before his phone was ringing and Vance was walking toward him. He answered the call while he waited for Vance. "Morning, Mrs. Olson."

Vance sat on the corner of his desk, an amused smile on his face, listening.

"Yes, it does look remarkably good. No, I don't know how he did it. Yes, I'm sure if you baked some cookies, Tim would help you with your lawn." Gibbs rolled his eyes at the smirk on Vance's face as he hung up. "McGee's lawn is green."

"And?"

"It was brown yesterday."

That made Vance's eyes widen. "He lay new sod?"

"Nope."

"Then how?"

"Good question. Yesterday, it was brown and dry like the rest of the neighborhood, was that way when I left for dinner. Then this morning it looks like a model home."

Vance stared at him. "I pay through the nose for lawn care and even my grass doesn't look that good this time of the year. Find out his secret."

Okay, he might not know how McGee had done it, but this was kind of fun. "Is that an order, Director?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. And while you're at it, figure out this case before General Andrews arrives stateside on Wednesday. Consider it an exchange for not dealing with Commander Avery." Vance dropped a folder on Gibbs' desk. "His son was attacked and beaten. Got a broken nose and cheekbone, but isn't cooperating."

"Because he's afraid of something or because he covering for someone?"

Vance just gave him the look before standing up, pulling out his phone as he walked away. "Yeah, bring my car around. We're leaving early for the Pentagon, got a detour to make."

Gibbs watched as McGee arrived and Vance gave the younger man a strange look before passing him at the elevator.

"Boss, what was that all about?"

"New case. Background the victim before we go out there." Gibbs didn't mention that Vance was probably on his way to McGee's house to see the mysterious green lawn. Speaking of which. "Hey, Mrs. Olson called me this morning, wanted to know if you'd fix her lawn like you did yours. She's already baking cookies."

"Sure, no problem." McGee took the file and sat down to work, deliberately ignoring the fact that Gibbs was still staring at him, obviously waiting for him to break and tell what he'd done. After a minute, Gibbs stood up.

"Going for coffee."

Tim waited until the elevator descended before checking his phone for the pictures he'd taken that morning. He'd managed to get a few good ones of Gibbs' baffled face and quickly emailed them to Tony before starting the background check.

-NCIS-

"Did he tell you?"

Abby blinked. Gibbs was in her lab at the start of the day with no CafPow, no evidence, no case and a question she had no idea how to answer. "Did who tell me about what?"

"McGee's lawn." When she just stared at him, Gibbs rolled his eyes and tried to clarify it. "Saturday, the lawn was pretty dead, right?"

It had been, but so had the rest of the block. "Well, yeah, but if he starts watering it regular and gives it some fertilizer, it should bounce back. If nothing else, as soon as the weather breaks, the rain will take care of it."

Gibbs shook his head. "It looked the same way last night but it's green this morning. Not a brown blade in the whole yard."

"Well, how'd he do that?" Abby only looked a little embarrassed. "Oh, that's what you were asking me, right?"

"Funny, Abs, real funny."

-NCIS-

McGee was deep in the history of one Kyle Jenner Andrews when Gibbs returned, nursing a fresh cup of coffee. He really didn't pay too much attention when Gibbs' phone rang just as the other man was sitting down, not at first.

"Gibbs. Yeah, Clara, what's up?"

He'd heard that name recently. Oh, yes, the grumpy set of neighbors. Tim listened a little more closely.

"Yes, I know he's having some work done on the trees... Yes, he's having at least one cut down... Yeah, some bushes, too... Yes, it really needs to be done... No, it's not going to destroy the look of the neighborhood... I'm sure it won't bring down anyone's property values... Yes, he really knows what he's doing. No, I don't know how he fixed the lawn that quick."

Tim was biting the inside of his cheek to stop from laughing when Gibbs finally ended the call and Gibbs gave him a careful look. "You do know what you're doing, right?"

"Yeah, Boss, I got it all planned out. The house has beautiful architecture and I want that to show again. Once the ivy..."

"The ivy? You're getting rid of the ivy?"

"Yeah, it's invasive and it's damaging the brick."

"And it was Clara that talked Harv and his wife into planting it in the first place."

"Oops." Tim might feel bad for Gibbs getting caught in the middle but he wasn't sad about losing the ivy plants that were covering up so much of the detail of the original architecture. "You're probably going to be getting another phone call, then."

"Ya think?"

Tim decided this was not a good time to mention the rest of his plans for the yard, both front and rear.

-NCIS-

"Tony?"

"Hey, you gotta see the pictures McGee sent me of Gibbs."

Ziva shook her head and turned to go back to the kitchen. "Maybe later. Dinner is getting cold. Are you coming?"

"Yeah, sure, just a minute." Still chuckling to himself, Tony made sure the pictures were saved on both his laptop and in his online storage folder. These were too good to ever risk losing.

-NCIS-

"Wow, that's the house Agent McGee bought?"

"Apparently so." Vance gave a slight nod to his driver as they parked across the street from the house, watching the activity as a tree in the side yard was trimmed down and another crew was tugging ivy off the front brick. "Gibbs is right, that's a pretty lush looking lawn."

"Better than mine looks, that's for sure. This was a rough summer to keep the yard in shape, I'll tell you."

Vance nodded, then sat back. There was an elderly couple watching the proceedings very closely from the house next door and he didn't want to get involved. "Okay, I've seen enough. Let's go."

-NCIS-

Gibbs looked at his watch. It was past 1500 and still no sign of their supposed victim. "I'm done playing nice with this kid. Tomorrow we go track him down. Drag him out of his classroom if we have to. What's his mom have to say?"

"Not much. She doesn't know where he goes, what he does or who he hangs out with. She wasn't even totally sure he was in school today. Apparently mom and dad are divorced, so when dad's deployed..."

"The mouse plays."

"Yeah. She did authorize for access to his cell records. I should have them in the morning and, hopefully, some answers."

Gibbs jerked his head toward the elevator. "Go. Take your class. You can crash on my sofa if you need to, tonight."

Tim was already on his feet. "Thanks, Boss."

"And be sure to go see Mrs. Olson." Tim gave a wave of acknowledgment and was out of the squad room. With any luck, the kid would share the cookies.

-NCIS-

Deciding to take the bull by the horns, Gibbs drove directly to McGee's house. McGee had driven home during lunch to sign off on the yard work and seemed happy, but Gibbs wanted to see the changes for himself and to take another look at the lawn. Sure enough it was still green and McGee was right, the house looked very different with the ivy and the overgrown landscaping cut back.

George was outside, poking around, but Clara was nowhere to be seen. "Evening, George."

"Evening, Jethro. Quite a change in just a day. Must admit, I kinda like it. Just don't tell Clara I said that."

Gibbs shook his head. He made it a policy to speak to Clara as little as possible. "Your secret's safe with me, George."

-NCIS-

Tile-setting 101 actually only lasted about three and a half hours, leaving enough time to encourage some shopping, but by the end of class Tim had learned how to cut tile, how to mix the mortar, set the tile and how to grout. Ready to get started, he found a ceramic tile that looked remarkably like travertine at a fraction of the price. Steve helped him load his cart and pick out the right mortar and grout, along with the tools.

He was just about ready to head to the check-out when he spotted a display of accent tiles on clearance. Several of the styles were obviously on clearance because they were rather ugly, but one caught his eye. It was light gray with swirls of black and shots of iridescent red and gold. The long, skinny tiles were designed for a border.

"Beautiful, aren't they?"

"Why are those on clearance?"

"Because that's the last of them, we can't get any more."

Tim was already counting and looking at the layout of his utility room. There was more than enough, but now he was also thinking about the guest bathroom, which was right next to the utility room. "I'll need different tiles with them, won't I?"

Steve laughed and helped him unload the fake travertine. "Let's look at some different options."

-NCIS-

"I'm not telling you nothin' cop. I know my rights, you can't force me."

After listening to the obnoxious teen for almost an hour, Gibbs turned the interview over to McGee. It really wouldn't look good if he decked a victim, even though the idea of giving him a second shiner to match the first one was awfully tempting. Gibbs looked over at Vance as the two of them stood in the observation room. "Whoever beat this kid would probably claim it was justified and win."

Vance didn't really have a comeback to that and turned his attention to what was going on in the interrogation room. McGee's shoulders looked tense, but he was keeping his cool.

"Listen, Kyle, don't you want to see the person that did this punished? That looks like it's going to scar."

"Chicks dig scars, man. At least all the hot one, not that you'd know anything about that."

McGee had ditched the jacket before he'd gone in there, but now he casually rolled up his sleeves. He didn't say anything at first, but they all saw Kyle's eyes widen slightly at the sight of the scars on his arm. "My 'chick' likes me just fine. You scared, Kyle? Is that why you're protecting him? Because you're scared of what he'll do to you if you talk? Because if it is, we can protect you."

Kyle gave a snort before he stood and kicked his chair back. "I don't need to be protected by you or anybody else. I'm out of here and you can tell my father I don't need his help either."

He was a victim, not a suspect, so they had no choice but to let him go, his mother scurrying after him as the three men met in the hallway. Tim shook his head. "I don't get a lot of victim vibes off this kid."

"Agreed, so figure it out before his father shows up. I do not want to be dealing with an angry, sulking, former drill instructor in my office all day." Unfortunately, their hands were pretty much tied at this point. "Okay, pack it in, you two. Tackle it with fresh eyes in the morning."

Once Vance left, Gibbs looked over at McGee. "What's on the agenda for tonight?"

"Planning and measuring."

Gibbs didn't know what the obsession was with measuring, but it was McGee's house, so he could measure all he wanted. "Okay, give a holler if you need some help."

"Thanks, Boss."

-NCIS-

Gibbs looked up to see a stern looking man wearing lots of ribbons and gold stars heading toward Vance's office, the victim from their current case in tow. General Andrews, no doubt. He picked up his phone. "Tell me you've got something, McGee."

 _Is the General inbound?_

"Already landed, and with his kid."

 _I'm pulling into the Yard now and I've got everything._

Gibbs recognized that tone and knew whatever McGee had, it was going to be good. "I'll meet you up in the Director's office." Hanging up the call, Gibbs stood and started walking up to Vance's office, automatically straightening his posture and tucking in his shirt. Once in the office, he stood at parade rest as the General berated Vance for his agency's lack of progress.

Eventually, the General had to take a breath and Vance jumped in. "This is Agent Gibbs. His team has been working on your son's case."

"It's about time. I hope you've found something."

"Agent McGee is bringing in the evidence now."

"Evidence? I want the damned assailant in handcuffs." McGee walked in at that moment and the General pointed a finger at him. "Whatever you've got, it had better be damned good."

McGee was flushed and slightly winded, but he jumped right into his explanation. "Since we weren't able to get even the location of the assault from your son, I was able to use his cell phone to track his movements the night of the attack."

"What? Wait a minute, you can't do that. You have to get permission or a warrant or something." For the first time, a flicker of fear showed in Kyle's face, but Tim didn't back down.

"You're a minor, the phone account is under your mother's name and I had her permission."

Tim turned his attention back to the General. "As I was saying, I tracked Kyle's movements for the night in question and I located the exact whereabouts of the attack. In fact, I found," he paused and plugged a flash drive in before using the remote to pull a picture up on the plasma in Vance's office. "The brick that I believe was used in the attack. I was able to pull a sample off the brick that tested positive for blood. We're running it in the lab now for a DNA match."

General Andrews looked slightly pleased for the first time since he'd arrived. "Any chance of getting fingerprints off it?"

The first picture had been a close up, showing the blood, but now McGee brought up the next picture that showed the entire brick, including the markers they place next to evidence to show its size. The General blanched at the sixteen by eight inches of textured cement brick that had nearly caved in his son's face. "Something this coarse, we're usually not able to pull usable prints, but I checked with the surrounding businesses and pulled all the surveillance video they shot that night."

"Wait a minute, are you saying that the attack was caught on tape?"

"Come on, Dad, let's just go. They're never going to catch the guy. We're just wasting our time."

Instead of answering or arguing, McGee just started the recording. It was dark and grainy, but there was no mistaking Kyle Andrews as he walked down the sidewalk, smoking a cigarette. There was no one else around and they watched as he tossed his cigarette onto the ground and walked over to look in the window of a pawn shop. He then backed up and looked around before picking up the large brick that had already been identified as the weapon.

In the office, Kyle started to back up, but Gibbs grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. "Where you going, Kyle? Movie's just getting good."

The Kyle on the screen held the brick as he spun around, building momentum. He released the brick and it hit the window at full speed. Unfortunately for the young man in question, it was a window actually made of shatterproof acrylic. It bowed in several inches before snapping back, flinging the brick back to hit Kyle dead in the face, dropping him instantly. As they continued to watch, eventually Kyle slowly climbed to his feet and staggered out of the camera's range.

Evidence shown, McGee turned to the General. "Do you still want me to handcuff that attacker, Sir?"

The General was still staring at the frozen screen. "Is the owner of the pawn shop pressing charges?"

"I talked to him and he's willing to let you handle it, if that's what you want."

"Oh, I want, all right. Come on, Kyle. We're going home." Gibbs' hand was replaced by an even harder grip as the General started to march his son out of the office.

The three remaining men in the office deliberately didn't look at each other until they heard the elevator leave the top floor. It was Vance that broke first, laughing until he had tears in his eyes. "It was worth putting up with the General to see the look on his face when he saw that video."

Gibbs was laughing, too, but he was also watching McGee's reaction, as his chuckles seemed almost forced and quickly died out. "McGee?"

"I'll get started on the reports."

Vance gave a nod. "Soon as you're done, you can take an early night. You've earned it."

"Thank you, Sir."

Diving into the paperwork once they'd returned downstairs, McGee's mood seemed to quickly pass and Gibbs decided to just file it away for now.

-NCIS-

"McGee?" The back door was open, helping to air out the house. Gibbs bent down and touched the floor. The new finish felt dry, but he slipped his shoes off just to make sure as he stepped inside.

"I'm in the utility room."

Location identified, Gibbs crossed the family room and set the food on the kitchen island. "Floor looks good. Did they get the carpet installed?"

"Master bedroom is done. They're doing the upstairs tomorrow."

Gibbs hadn't known that the master bedroom was getting carpet, but that actually made sense. They could bring the carpet and pad into the master bedroom through the bedroom door that led out onto the deck, but they'd have to cross the wooden floor to get upstairs. Unless... "Why didn't they do the upstairs carpet first?"

"They didn't have enough in stock to do the entire upstairs. I don't mind if the downstairs bedroom is a different dye lot, but I wanted all of the upstairs carpets to be from the same roll."

Curious, Gibbs detoured to look in the bedroom. The light gray colored carpet was a short nap that reminded him of sisal, but was very soft to the touch. Satisfied for now, Gibbs walked back to join McGee in the utility room. "I brought dinner. You earned it today."

"Thanks."

McGee's voice sounded low, like he was on the floor, and Gibbs found him laying tile. "Thought you weren't going to start on the inside yet?"

"Washer and dryer are getting delivered in a couple of days. It was either lay tile now or live with that avocado green."

"True." He'd never been a fan of peel and stick flooring, but that had been installed long before he started helping Harv around the place.

"Besides, now the floor is level with the rest of the downstairs and I could get rid of that thing."

The old, angled threshold was laying on the counter, the original and cheap fix when two adjoining floors were of slightly different heights. Gibbs squatted down to take a look at what McGee was working on. The tile was a medium gray that looked like stone at first glance and it was apparent that McGee was comfortable with what he was doing. "This was your class a few days ago?"

"It was. There was a hands-on demo over the weekend and it didn't seem nearly as hard as it looked, so, I decided to give the full class a try. Came home from the class with everything I needed."

Looking around, there was certainly everything one would need to practically start a tile laying business. "You bought a tile saw?"

"Nah, they rent them. Figured I'd rather rent a commercial grade saw than buy one of those cheap, light weight ones they sell for home use."

Gibbs watched as McGee spread the mortar and carefully laid the next section of tiles. Tile work was more about patience and precision than brute strength, so he could see this as a skill the kid would quickly acquire. "Now I know who to call the next time I tackle a bathroom."

McGee just grinned and finished the last large tile in that section and then started laying the border pieces that would fit in between the last two rows of main tiles. "Thanks, Boss."

"Pretty fancy for a laundry room, McGee."

The grin widened. "This room is practice. Eventually, I'll do all the bathrooms here and I want them to look good. Besides, this is right next to the guest bath and it's also the access to the basement."

Gibbs' laundry room was the entrance to his basement too, but then his basement wasn't finished. He started to say something, but figured he'd just chalk it up to one of their differences.

Once the row of tiles between the border and the wall were in place along that side, it would be a good place to stop for dinner so Gibbs helped by handing him the tiles as he watched the younger man work. "You're really enjoying all of this, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am." Tim accepted the last tile for that section and carefully tapped it into place and placed the spacers before cleaning up enough to take a dinner break. "I've been planning and dreaming about this for a long time."

Gibbs patted him on the back as they moved into the kitchen. There wasn't a table in either the breakfast nook or the dining room yet, but a row of stools were now lined up at the island eating bar. Gibbs checked and, yes, they already had the felt pads on the feet to protect the newly finished hardwood.

As they were eating, Gibbs kept his voice casual. "You going to tell DiNozzo about General Andrews and his son when you talk to him?" Tim froze and looked at him.

"You know?"

"Glad Tony trusts you enough to talk what's going on with him and Ziva." Gibbs waited while McGee digested that.

"It's not that he doesn't trust you, Boss. It's just..."

"I know, Tim." Gibbs gave him what he hoped was an encouraging nod. "There's just some things that are easier to talk about with your best friend. I know that if there's a problem I need to know about, you'll tell me. The rest I'll leave in your hands."

McGee seemed to glow from the praise. "Thanks, Boss."

"What I really want to know..." Gibbs paused long enough for Tim to lean closer in anticipation. "Is how in the hell you got your grass so green overnight."

Tim laughed and shook his head. His front yard, along with Mrs. Olson's, were the talk of the neighborhood. On the other side, Clara had been standing over her husband as he watered and fertilized practically every day that week. "Yeah, okay. Come on, I'll show you."

They went through the utility room, carefully stepping around the freshly laid tile, and into the garage. There Tim picked up a jug and handed it over.

"Lawn dye?"

"Yeah. You just spray it on and it coats the outside of each blade of grass. Depending on how fast the grass grows and how often I mow, it'll last like two months. By then, the grass will be green again on its own."

"Lawn dye?"

"Lawn dye."

Ten years ago, Tim would have dutifully repeated himself, word for word. Gibbs was glad he'd grown out of that habit, laughing and shaking his head. "I didn't even know they made this stuff."

"Look at it this way, Boss. Golf courses always look perfectly green."

"Because they dye them."

"When they need to."

Gibbs thought about the timing of when the two lawns had changed so dramatically. "So, what, you sneak out at night and spray it?"

"You don't have to do it at night, unless you want it to be a surprise."

That brought out another laugh and Gibbs lightly popped McGee in the back of the head. "Brat. So, what are you going to do with the rest of the jug?"

"Well, Clara and George are going to be leaving in about twenty minutes for their weekly canasta game and it'll be dark by the time they get home."

Gibbs was going to hint for his own lawn, but that was even better. "Perfect."

-NCIS-

After the neighbor's yard was done, Gibbs stayed long enough to help Tim lay the rest of the tiles as Tim told him some of the plans for the house and yard. When Gibbs finally went home, he took a print-out of a structure McGee wanted in the back yard. He wasn't totally sure what it was, but the young man was very excited about it and was convinced that Tony would love it, too.

In all the years they'd been a team, he'd never built anything for either of his boys and with that in mind, Gibbs was happy to build this whatever it was.

-NCIS-

"Good morning."

 _Good evening._

It was starting to get to be an old joke, but they still grinned at each other over the screen. Tony was already trying to look around him, to see what had been accomplished that day. Tim was using his phone and walked into the utility room without being asked, giving Tony a sweeping view of the new floor.

"I got the tile all laid in here, grout goes in tomorrow and my new washer and dryer get delivered on Friday."

 _Nice. Gibbs come over and help?_

"He handed me some tiles, does that count?" Even on the small screen, Tony looked impressed.

 _Wow, you're turning into a real handyman. How'd you convince him to not do more?_

"He didn't know I was working on it. Actually, he brought dinner to celebrate – hey, I almost forgot to tell you. Broke the Andrews case and you're not going to believe it."

 _What? Was the kid actually dirty?_

"Now that you mentioned it..."

-NCIS-

As soon as it was daylight, Gibbs grabbed his French press and a couple of cups and headed over to McGee's, hoping to see the moment when Clara and George realized they had a lush lawn. He timed it just right as George was walking out for his morning paper. The two agents watched from the living room as George stopped and stared at his lawn, hollering for Clara.

She joined her husband in the middle of their yard, slowly turning around and staring at the change. Gibbs tapped his cup against the side of McGee's in a casual toast. "First time in twenty-two years I've ever seen that woman speechless."

It didn't last long as she whacked her husband's arm. "See, I told you that new fertilizer would do the trick." She went back inside their house and George started to follow before turning back toward Tim's house and giving a nod to his audience.

-NCIS-

Grout was also easy, but it was messy and time consuming. Eventually, however, it was all done and cleaned up. Tim sat back on his heels and looked at the finished job. The first row of tiles were a little uneven, but they would be hidden under the washer and dryer. By the time he'd gotten out to the visible part of the room, his rows were perfectly straight and even. All in all, he was very pleased. The border was striking against the medium gray tiles, and the grout was almost the exact same color as the tile. That would hide any flaws, but even with that security built in, it looked sharp and crisp.

He had enough of the border pieces to do the guest bathroom, but in there he'd decided to lay the main tiles on the diagonal, alternating between the same medium gray tile and the coordinating lighter gray. It would tie in with the utility room when the doors were open, but look more sophisticated.

Tim glanced at the time. He was running a little late, but since Gibbs was out having dinner with Fornell again, he'd bought another bottle of lawn dye and sprayed Gibbs' front yard. Now he had just long enough to finish cleaning up before it was time to talk to Tony. If he hurried, he'd have time to check his email for Sarah's weekly update, too.

-NCIS-

"Morning, Probie."

 _Evening, Tony._

As soon as their greetings were exchanged, Tony was trying to see in back of Tim. "You get the tile done? Let's see it."

 _Sure. Hang on._

It was always disorientating when the phone swung around, but then Tony was looking at the finished floor. "Nice, so the washer and dryer get delivered tomorrow? What's the can of paint for?"

 _Yeah, they should have them delivered before I get home from work. I gave Mrs. Olson a key so she can let them in. The paint is for the cabinets in here. Now that the floor is done, the old cabinets look like crap, but I guess that's the way all home improvement projects go._

Tony had heard the names of almost all the neighbors by now, but he was still having trouble keeping them all sorted. "Mrs. Olson? Cookie lady, right?"

 _That's right. She's a sweet old lady and doesn't have any family in the area. I think I've been adopted._

It wasn't a surprise that McGee had been so quickly adopted by his elderly neighbor, he'd always said the kid had 'mother me' written all over him. "Just remember, you're going to have to start sharing the cookies when we get home."

Tim just laughed and Tony knew he'd have to help with the work to get a share of the cookies. He could see that McGee was tired tonight, so after a few more minutes, he wrapped up the call. "Hey, it looks like it's past your bedtime, so I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

 _You bet. They you can see my bright red washer and dryer._

"Whoa, they come in colors? I didn't know that. Looking forward to it."

When the call ended and the screen went blank, Tony didn't head back to bed. He was restless and honestly, a little homesick. Nettie was in the kitchen, starting breakfast, so he went in and sat at the table to watch her work.

Netanya David was Eli's older sister. Having buried her own husband, her only child, her brother, her niece and her nephew, there was a weariness that seemed to be part of her psyche now, but she found her solitude in feeding anyone that came across her path. This morning, she was making rugelach, something that Tony had come to enjoy while she was visiting the farm. "Good morning, Nettie."

"Good morning, Anthony, you are up early. You were speaking to your friend back home again?"

A few pieces of chopped walnuts had escaped as she'd rolled up the rich pastry and Tony snuck them into his mouth. "Every day, until we go back home. He's my best friend – he and Ziva are the two most important people in my life. Can't wait to show Ziva what he's been up to while we've been gone. You could come with us, you know. Ziva would love to have you around and we could sponsor you if you wanted to make it official. You know, with immigration."

"That is very kind, Anthony, but Israel is my home. When I die, I want to be buried with my family up on that hill."

Tony had seen the cemetery up there, but only from a distance, and he didn't realize it was the family cemetery. "Your husband and your son?"

"Yes, and my brother and his children."

Tony definitely hadn't known that. "Ari is buried up there?"

"Of course." Nettie finished slicing the roll and laying it on the baking tray. "You have talked to Ziva about returning to America, yes?"

"Technically not yet, but she knows that's what we'll do eventually. It's just a matter of if we go back as colleagues or something else."

"You want it to be more?"

Tony gave a nervous smile. "Yes. More than anything."


	4. Chapter 4

"Night, Boss."

Despite any plans to the contrary, they seldom carpooled as McGee often needed to stop for supplies for his next project. While Gibbs was quite amused by McGee's detailed plans, he didn't need to go shopping with him every single night. "Night, McGee. So, what's on the schedule for the weekend?"

"I heard from Sarah yesterday. She's going to be in town next week, so I've got to get a guest room ready and that means I'm buying paint and supplies and then starting to paint tonight."

"You've got furniture for in there?"

"Not yet, but I bought the bedding online last night."

Gibbs gave a snort as he shut down his computer. McGee was still sleeping on a mattress on the floor but he was decorating a guest bedroom. "Just buy your paint, I've got brushes and rollers and everything else. Which bedroom are we doing?"

"The one in the front of the house. That's the one with the big dormer window." McGee dug an extra key out of his pocket. "Here, I had some copies made since I'm going to actually lock my doors when I'm not there. You'll have a key and so does Mrs. Olson, since she's there to accept deliveries sometimes."

"All right, I'll bring everything over and start the prep work while you get the paint."

"Thanks, Boss." Tim checked the time as he picked up his bag. "I can pick up the bedding any time after five, then I'll get the paint and order a pizza for us."

"Sounds... wait, I thought you said you ordered the bedding online."

"Yeah. You go onto the store's website, place the order and then they include it in the afternoon shipment to your local store. No shipping cost that way."

"Hmm. Didn't know you could do that."

Tim wisely didn't say anything, but he grinned at Gibbs as he left.

Gibbs left a few minutes later, parking his car before loading all his painting supplies into the bed of his truck and driving that around the block. It seemed silly to drive that short of a distance, but it would have taken several trips to carry everything. He brought more than he would use for just the one room because, knowing McGee, once they got started painting, they wouldn't stop until the entire house was done.

Unlocking the door, Gibbs stepped inside the house. It had been a few days since he'd been there without McGee and he wanted to take his time to look at what had been done so far, but first he needed to unload everything. He'd just stack it all in the garage, then explore.

An area rug was now in the entry hall, protecting the freshly refinished floor, which Gibbs heartily approved of. Eventually winter would be here and an outside mat was never quite enough to keep your shoes dry. From there, Gibbs walked into the utility room, stopping to stare at the difference.

The floor looked good, which he already knew, but the finished effect was quite striking, especially now that the new appliances were installed. Of course McGee would pick the newest model with the fanciest electronics – and who needed a washing machine with a touch panel – but he wasn't expecting it to be a bright red set. A metallic red at that. Now the red and gold swirls in the tile border really stood out. The walnut finish on the cabinets looked out of place, but judging from the partially painted cabinet, it wouldn't be that way for long. Gibbs took a closer look and, yes, McGee had painted the side of the cabinets that were next to the new washer and dryer, apparently getting them done before the delivery today.

It was a long way from the basic bachelor vibe in Gibbs' house, but it suited the grand old place. Gibbs made a mental note to take pictures when more of it was done. Harv and Betty would love to see just what McGee was doing to their old home.

The bedroom was actually in really good shape. Gibbs had helped Harv paint it almost ten years ago, but the room had only been used once or twice since then, when their daughter and her family came home for a visit. The moldings were white and after a quick cleaning they were bright once again. Needing to know the plan, he called McGee. "Hey, what colors are we doing the walls in here?"

 _It's kind of a dusty blue._

"Trim's going to stay white, then?"

 _Yeah._

"Good, because I just scrubbed them down and they cleaned up nice. Might have to touch up the closet doors, but that's it."

 _Great, that'll speed things up._

It would. They wouldn't have to wait for the walls to dry to paint the molding and the closet doors could quickly come down to be painted. "Then I'll start taping everything up."

 _Thanks, Boss._

Using his flat screwdriver, Gibbs pulled the pin out of the hinges and removed the closet doors. He'd brought a set of sawhorses with him so he carried the closet doors down to the garage and set them up down there. He didn't go for the fancy tools like McGee, but he did share his desire for quality in his tools. This was the same set of sawhorses he'd had since they'd decorated Kelly's nursery.

As if it were yesterday, he remembered Shannon teasing him about it, telling him that he was already prepared to work on Kelly's first house. It wasn't quite the same, but it was close enough that the memory made him smile instead of paining him. He was still smiling when McGee arrived home.

"Hey, Boss, pizza's here."

The impassive expression was back on Gibbs' face as he walked into the kitchen, but he did ruffle McGee's hair as he walked by. The momentary confusion on the younger man's face threatened to bring back the smile. "So, where's this fancy bedding you bought?"

"It's still out in the car." Tim snagged a slice of the pizza and took a big bite before he headed back outside. By the time Gibbs had the beers open, McGee was back with an armload. One bag he dropped on the floor and the other one he carried into the utility room. Another trip brought in cut pieces of plywood and the third brought in what appeared to be sheet metal pieces, pre-cut to match the plywood.

Curious, Gibbs grabbed his beer and pizza and followed McGee. "What is all this?"

"My new counters." When Gibbs looked at him blankly, Tim explained. "I've got new floors, new washer, new dryer and I'm painting the cabinets."

Gibbs saw where he was going with this. All that was left were the counter tops and the walls. Gibbs, himself, had painted the walls a pure white when the house first went on the market so they were fine, but the outdated tan Formica wasn't all that great. He looked closer at the pre-fabricated metal. "Stainless?"

"Yeah. I decided to go ahead and finish this room completely, instead of having a bunch of half-finished rooms and then getting too busy to do anything."

It made sense and one of Gibbs' pet peeves was seeing a house where nothing was finished. It was one of the reasons he'd never let any of the ex's try their hand at redoing his place. "Okay, but why the utility room? Why not your bedroom so you'd have someplace to sleep and entertain your girlfriend when she gets home?"

"I want to do my own laundry in my own washer. I've been dragging my clothes to strange laundromats since I left home for college. Besides, the bed I picked out is on back order."

This time Gibbs really did laugh. "Okay, guest room and laundry room it is then."

Pizza and beer finished, they took the gallon of paint upstairs. Gibbs already had the tarps down and everything taped so, between the two of them it took less than an hour to paint the room. Tim looked around. "That was quicker than I was expecting."

"The right tools and the proper prep make a difference. We'll let it dry, see if anything needs a second coat, but that covered pretty good."

"Guaranteed one coat coverage for three dollars more, I figured it was worth it. As long as we didn't miss a spot, we should be done."

Gibbs glared at him for that comment, but there was no heat in it. "Okay, hotshot, show me how you plan on installing your new counters."

With a grin, McGee did just that. A quick scrubbing with a heavy duty cleaner to make sure there was no grease on the old Formica, then they were dried. Next he loaded a tube of liquid nails into a caulking gun and squirted a pattern right onto the old counter tops The thin plywood went down and some boxes from the garage were used as weights. So far, Gibbs was impressed. He'd have never thought to use the heavy duty adhesive, instead using the traditional method of ripping the old counter tops out and replacing them in their entirety. "How long does it have to set?"

"Since it's not supporting any real weight, not long. I'm going to give it about an hour, then lay down the stainless. Then the whole thing can set up overnight."

"Sounds like a plan." While they waited, they painted the closet doors out in the garage. "When's Delilah coming home, does she know yet?"

"She was hoping to come home this weekend, but now they're thinking a couple more weeks. Apparently one of the contractors is way behind. They, uh, mis-measured some of the wiring conduit and it all has to be redone. Her team is the one that has to stay and supervise it."

"I bet she's not happy about that."

Tim gave a slight tilt to his head. "She decided that was better than being the team that has to come back and explain the half million dollar overage because somebody couldn't read a measuring tape properly."

And thus McGee's new obsession with accurate measurements was identified. "Ouch."

The last project of the night was setting the stainless counters in place. They did a dry-fit first, which showed how precise McGee's measurements had been. Even the squared front edge lined up perfectly along the front of the cabinet, matching the depth of the old counter top combined with the thickness of the plywood. He'd even planned on the fraction of an inch the adhesive would take up. Sure enough, when the liquid nails was spread out and the stainless panels put in place, it looked like they had always been there. None of the original Formica showed, but when Gibbs carefully ran his hand along the lip, there was no edge where the metal stuck out either.

All that was left to do was to let it dry and then peel the protective cover off the metal in the morning. The boxes were set back in place to keep everything weighted down and they called it a night. "Didn't know you were this much of a designer, McGee."

"I'm not, really. It's just... this house speaks to me, you know? Ten years of saving ideas and it's like the place was made for all my favorites."

"Then I'm really glad you got it. Now, what are you going to do about furniture for that room we just painted?"

"It's the last weekend of the month."

The eyebrow went up as Gibbs waited for an explanation.

"Renters that are moving usually have to be out at the end of the month. Sometimes it's easier to sell your furniture than it is to rent a bigger truck. I'll check the online ads in the morning. Usually there's several queen size beds with a black finish for sale and cash talks."

"Of course it does." Gibbs tossed his truck keys to McGee and turned to go out the back door instead of the front. "The truck might as well stay with you. I'll see you in the morning; say hi to Tony for me."

-NCIS-

Every time he walked through the back yard, Gibbs noticed a few changes. All of the overgrown areas had been cleaned out and fresh bark dust laid on the beds last week. Today he spotted an assortment of new plants, a row of spiky bushes that were almost a chartreuse in color with some soft, almost fuzzy looking purple bushes in between. Past that were the trees that remained after the visit from the arborist, but they looked further back.

It took Gibbs a minute to realize how much of an optical illusion the various colors created. Then he noticed that this side of the fence had been stained dark, almost black, causing it to virtually vanish behind the trees.

He stared for a few seconds longer, then walked back to stand in the center of the yard. He knew how big the space was but now it looked even bigger.

"Not bad, kid. Not bad at all."

-NCIS-

 _So, do I get to see it?_

"Nope."

 _Why not? I've seen all the stages so far._

"And tomorrow night you get to see the finished version." Tony was grumbling but Tim could tell his heart wasn't in it. "What's the matter?"

 _I don't know. Guess it's just that usually when I get to this point with a woman, she runs for the hills._

"Tell her. Tell her that, tell her how you feel."

 _But what if I can't make it work, what if I screw up? You know me, I have a long history of screwing things up._

"Not this time but tell her that, too. Be honest about all of it. Either it will work or it won't, but at least you'll know you gave it your all."

 _Guess that's better than wondering about it, right?_

"Absolutely."

 _Okay, I will. In a few days, I'll do it._

"Tony..."

 _No, this week is the anniversary of Tali's death. She's spending a lot of time at the family cemetery._

"All right, yeah. Give her some space for that, but don't wait too long. It might help her to think about the future and what she still has instead of what she's lost."

-NCIS-

Tony let the forced smile fade away as the screen went dark. He wasn't sure why he'd tried to hide what he was feeling, but the mask was ingrained into his reactions by now.

There was no point in going back to bed this morning as Ziva had already left for the cemetery. Instead, Tony went into the kitchen to start packing a picnic of some sorts. Today he'd meet her up there, among her lost family and remind her she still had a future.

-NCIS-

McGee was on his phone when Gibbs arrived in the morning so he let himself in just as the call was ending and he heard McGee tell the person on the other end that he'd see him in twenty minutes.

"Don't tell me you got a bed already?"

"Early bird gets the worm, right?"

It felt funny to be a passenger in his own truck, but he was the one that had given McGee the keys. As McGee had told the seller, they pulled in front of a tidy apartment complex about twenty minutes later. Gibbs wasn't sure what to expect, but the bedroom furniture McGee bought was clean and sturdy and an absolute bargain at only three hundred dollars. It took some careful planning, but they got the bed, the dresser and the two nightstands packed into the truck in one load.

An hour and thirty minutes after they'd left the house McGee was smoothing the comforter over the new bed and Gibbs had to admit it looked good, but not particularly feminine.

"It's not really girly."

"I want Sarah to feel welcome, but I don't want her to move in."

"Good point." Gibbs laughed and shook his head.

"What?"

"If any of my ex-wives were half as efficient as you, I'd have let them redecorate all the time."

That made McGee laugh. "Well, it is easier when you're starting from scratch. Honestly, all I had to do was pick out a set of bedding and then pick a paint that was just a lighter shade of one of the colors. Anybody could do that."

"And pick out the furniture."

McGee picked up the package the comforter had come in and showed Gibbs the picture. It was very close to the bed they'd just assembled. "It's a popular style of bedroom furniture right now, so I figured it would be pretty easy to find."

Still chuckling to himself, Gibbs went down to get the closet doors. In the utility room the boxes had already been moved off the new counter-top and the protective film removed. It looked good and the rate McGee was going, he expected to see the room finished before the weekend was done.

They got the hinges lined up and McGee held them in place while Gibbs tapped the pin down into position. Gibbs checked to make sure they swung properly. "Are we done in here?"

McGee looked around. There were no personal touches, but that was to be expected in a new guest room. "I think so. I might buy some artwork to hang up on that wall, but that would be about it. Like I said, I don't want to make it too comfortable for her."

"Well then, grab your laser and let's get your tower thingie installed in the backyard."

"Tower 'thingie'?"

Gibbs just rolled his eyes and left the room, knowing that McGee would be just a few steps behind him.

-NCIS-

"A quarter of an inch to the left."

Gibbs grunted as they shifted the wooden tower the required distance. He still didn't know exactly what this thing was or why it was so important that it be placed so precisely in the back yard. He hoped that McGee would be satisfied soon because the cement was starting to set up. "How's that?"

McGee was carefully checking everything with his laser. "Almost there, need to rotate about a half a degree counterclockwise."

"You're joking, right?"

Apparently he wasn't, because McGee was pushing hard on his end. Biting back a curse, Gibbs pulled on his end and they got it moved the required fraction of a degree before the concrete was hard.

"Okay, we got it. Thanks, Boss, this means a lot and it's going to be great."

The kid was beaming and Gibbs couldn't bring himself to complain or even argue. He sure couldn't admit that he had no idea what the thing really was or why the placement was so important. All he could do was sigh. "Glad you're happy with it, McGee."

-NCIS-

"Hey, thought you might be getting hungry." Tony held up the basket of food to show her before setting it down on the ground and joining her next to Tali's grave. He was close enough to feel the breeze brush her hair against him, but she didn't look up.

"I have buried my sister, my brother and my father. What do I have left?"

"We can't replace them, but you do have a sister in Abby, a brother in McGee and a father in Gibbs."

Finally she turned to look at him. "And you? What are you to me?"

"Your future, I hope." Tony bent down to tenderly kiss her cheek, then took her hand and led her to the clearing where the food was waiting for them.

-NCIS-

"What the hell..." Gibbs straightened up from reading the Sunday paper as the scent of burning rubber caught his attention. Standing, he followed the scent into the kitchen, then into his laundry room where it was strong enough to burn his eyes. Realizing the problem, Gibbs quickly shut off his washer, cursing when he discovered that the belt had given out in the middle of the wash cycle.

Continuing to mutter to himself, Gibbs pulled the washer away from the wall and unplugged it before he removed the back. It didn't take long to discover it would take more than a ten dollar belt to get the old machine back into service.

It was late enough that Gibbs didn't want to deal with a laundromat, with the drunks and druggies that tended to congregate this late at night, then he realized he had a neighbor. A neighbor with a brand new washing machine. A neighbor he helped on a regular basis. He made a quick call.

"Hey, McGee, my washer just gave out. Mind if I bring some laundry over tonight?"

 _Sure, no problem. I've got a load in the washer right now, but it'll be done in about ten minutes – then it's all yours._

"Thanks, I'll see you in a few minutes."

It took almost the full ten minutes to wring the majority of the soapy water out of the clothes so by the time Gibbs arrived at McGee's the kid was putting his last load of clothes into the dryer. "There you go, Boss, it's all yours."

Gibbs set the plastic basket down on the floor in front of the washer. The bright red appliance was a front loader with more settings than Gibbs thought was possible for what used to be a simple job. No knobs, no push buttons, it was all operated by a touch screen. Debating whether to return home for his glasses or to ask McGee for help, he turned – then forgot all about his own washing.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, do that again."

Tim was standing at a small table that was a new addition to the room. Grinning, he picked up a t-shirt from his newly dried pile of clothes, spread it out on the table and pinched two spots on the fabric. There was a quick movement of his hands and the shirt was perfectly folded. "You mean that?"

His own laundry totally forgotten for the moment, Gibbs crossed his arms over is chest. "Slower this time."

McGee had all of his shirts from that load folded before Gibbs was partially satisfied. He'd be watching closely when the clothes currently in the dryer came out.

Folding done, at least for now, Tim poked his head in the washer to see what kind of load it was before he started the washer for Gibbs. "You don't do a lot of sorting, do you?"

Gibbs just gave a grunt, he'd heard that from more than one ex-wife.

-NCIS-

"Good morning, my dear."

"Good morning, Aunt Nettie." Even with Ziva bending down, Nettie had to raise up on her toes to kiss her niece's cheek.

"Is that man of yours still talking to his friend?"

"No, they are finished and he is taking a shower, and he is not my man, Aunt Nettie."

Nettie gave her a serious look. "But he wants to be, wants it very much."

"It will not work." Ziva turned away to fix herself breakfast, but Nettie took her arm, forcing her to turn back.

"You are giving up without even trying, child? He loves you very much. Don't throw that away." Nettie waited, hoping Ziva would confide in her, but her niece just walked away.

-NCIS-

"You home?" Fornell stumbled through the door, two grocery bags in his hands. Gibbs' car was there, but the truck wasn't, so either he was gone or McGee had borrowed the truck again.

"Don't unload anything. You're cooking at McGee's tonight." Gibbs appeared at the top of the stairs, laundry basket in hand.

One of the first things Fornell noticed was that the clothes weren't particularly wadded up. In fact, they looked like they'd come straight out of a dresser drawer. "Why am I feeding McGee?"

"Because he's doing my laundry. You should bring yours next time, too."

This was weird, even for this gang. "Why, pray tell, would I want McGee doing my laundry?"

"So you can watch him fold it."

Yeah, definitely weird. Feeling very put upon, Fornell followed Gibbs out his back door, across his yard and through a gate he'd never noticed before. He'd heard stories from Gibbs over the last few weeks, but this was the first time Tobias had seen McGee's new place.

The carefully measured back yard – and he was still trying to figure that one out – was both lush and tidy. Not one weed was visible in either the grass or the large beds that bordered the side fence. He was immediately envious of the large covered back porch and was pretty sure it explained the partially finished outdoor furniture that was currently occupying most of Gibbs' basement.

It was a wooden tower close to the side fence that caught his attention the most, however. Probably six by six and at least eight feet tall, it almost looked like a loft bed, but there were large eye hooks on the upright supports and lots of crossbeams, but only on three sides. A small shelf hung from the bottom of the top deck.

"What the heck is that?"

"Not sure yet. I think it has something to do with looking at the stars." Instead of explaining further, Gibbs opened the back door and walked into the house, expecting Fornell to follow.

The room they walked into was large and opened directly onto the kitchen. Beautifully finished hardwood floors caught his eye almost immediately, then the large fireplace in the corner, before he registered the lack of furniture. Only a small, familiar black leather sofa and a coffee table were in the room. The eating nook next to the kitchen had no furniture at all while a few stools were tucked under the island that divided the kitchen from the family room.

"Hi, Boss, umm, Fornell." McGee appeared from a doorway and Fornell caught a glimpse of a desk and computer as the door swung shut behind him.

Gibbs hefted his laundry basket. "Didn't realize how tired the old washer was. Couldn't believe the difference in my clothes so I brought the rest over, Fornell's here to fix dinner."

"Umm, okay." McGee seemed as surprised by his presence as Tobias, himself, was.

Setting the bags down on the counter, Fornell looked around. It was a fairly big kitchen, but dated looking, only the freshly refinished floor sparkled. Gibbs had continued on, somewhere, and his voice drifted back. "Tobias, you ever seen a red washing machine?"

"What the hell is your obsession with laundry all of a sudden, Jethro?" He followed the voice, stopping in the doorway to a fairly large, very fancy laundry room. Tile floor – stone, maybe? The border was a nice touch that circled the room. Black cabinets with a stainless counter top and matching handles. A table painted black to match, and the aforementioned red washer and dryer smack dab in the middle of the far wall. It was one of those rooms where everything had a place, right down to the basket that held hangers and a footed glass urn that held the powdered laundry soap. All in all, the room looked like it belonged in one of the Street of Dream homes their ex was always drooling over. "Wow. Don't let Diane see this. You'd never get rid of her."

McGee gave a nervous laugh as if he weren't sure how to respond and Gibbs paused in the loading of the washer to clap him on the back. "Don't worry, we're not letting her get her claws into you again."

Okay, yeah, he didn't want Diane to get interested in the kid either, but for a totally different reason, but he kept his mouth shut about that little bombshell. Maybe somehow, he could tell Diane about Jethro's fascination with McGee's new washer without even mentioning McGee. Maybe. Well, the washer was running, even though Tobias couldn't even imagine a reason for a washing machine to have wi-fi.

"So, what does the dryer do, fold the clothes for you?"

"Nope, but McGee here is going to give you a show after dinner that you won't believe."

Shaking his head, Fornell retreated back to the kitchen. At least the appliances out here were old enough that he understood them.

Halfway through dinner, McGee's phone chimed and he stood. "I'll throw your wash in the dryer." Fornell was peering down at the screen.

"His washing machine sent him a text message?"

"Welcome to the twenty-first century, Tobias."

"Shut up, Jethro."

* * *

a/n - Had some complaints about the pace of the story. It's over 150,000 words complete so it's not going to be as fast as a 30k story. There's a lot of detail and set-up, not only for this story, but for the entire series. However, next chapter will get the boys back in the same time zone. BTW, plan on a chapter a day except for weekends. On those days I'm up and out the door by 5am for work. Love you guys, but still not getting up any earlier to post on those days. :)


	5. Chapter 5

Tim had to fumble around for a bit to find his phone as it started ringing, but he still managed to answer by the third ring, turning on a light at the same time. "Yeah, McGee."

 _Hey, man, I'm at the airport, can you... oh, hell, it's the middle of the night here, isn't it?_

"Tony?" Tim was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he climbed out of bed. "You're at the airport? Which one, Reagan or Dulles?"

 _Man, I'm sorry, I'll just get a cab._

"No, you won't; I'm already on my way. So, am I going to Reagan or Dulles?"

 _Dulles, I'll... I'll meet you at that coffee shop we both like. The one Ziva... that Ziva doesn't like._

He didn't have the details, but it seemed that Tony had come home alone. "I'm sorry, Tony."

 _Yeah, me too._

Traffic was light, especially for DC, and Tim made it to the airport in record time. Tony was exactly where he'd said he'd be, picking apart a limp salad and sandwich. Tim didn't say anything as he slid into the booth across from Tony.

"And DiNozzo strikes out again."

"Ah, Tony, I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that."

"I didn't have a freakin' clue until it was time to go to the airport. She just looked at me and said 'no' and that was it." Tony shoved his mutilated food to the middle of the table and threw some cash down. "Get me out of here, Probie. Take me home."

The ride back was quiet, Tony having closed his eyes the moment he'd sat down. He wasn't asleep because his eyes opened back up as soon as they pulled into the parking garage. Tim didn't ask or offer to come up, he just popped the trunk, grabbing Tony's bags and following him to the elevator.

In the condo, the shot out windows had been replaced, but nothing else was cleaned up. Tony leaned against the wall and then slid down to the floor. Tim set the bags down and joined Tony on the floor.

"I thought I was what she wanted, but she said she needed to be alone, that I would never understand. How was I supposed to understand what she wouldn't tell me, Probie?"

"You couldn't. Nobody could."

"She... if it was just coming back to DC that she didn't want, I would have stayed. I would have stayed if she'd asked."

"Ah, Tony." Tim had to swallow hard at that revelation, but he kept his feelings locked away as he rested his hand on Tony's bowed head and looked around at the punctured furniture and broken pieces. "Come on." He stood and started to tug Tony up with him.

"What?"

"Come on. Sarah bailed on me so you can break in the new guest bedroom."

"You just want grunt labor for your new place."

Tim was behind him so he could grin without being seen as he picked the suitcases back up. "Always knew you were the smart one. Come on, we can get Kate from the neighbors tomorrow."

It was a quiet ride, but Tim didn't push. Once they pulled into the driveway, Tony seemed to perk up a little bit as he looked around. "Wow, nice."

"It's coming along." Tim smiled as he looked at both his new home and also at his best friend as he looked at the place for the first time. It was almost daybreak and much of the house was still in dark shadows, but the headlights showed the red brick lower half of the home fairly well. He turned on the brights for a minute to show the hand hewed stone ledges under the windows along with the white plastered upper walls and the dark stained beams.

Tony was tilting when he got out of the car so Tim steered him straight up the stairs when they went inside.

"I wanna see."

"Sleep first. I'll give you the full tour after you've had a decent rest." They went into the bedroom and Tim pulled back the comforter before pushing Tony down to sit on the edge of the bed. Without comment, he bent down and untied Tony's shoes before pulling them off. "Okay, strip down. I'll get your stuff from the car."

While he was outside, Tim called Gibbs, talking the second he heard a grunt from the other end of the line. "Boss, I just picked Tony up from the airport, alone."

-NCIS-

Gibbs always woke up before his alarm, a fact that drove Shannon and the various ex-wives up the wall. He enjoyed the silence, however, that brief space of time before the rest of the world woke up. This morning it was shattered by the ringing of his cell. McGee's name came up on the display and Gibbs immediately jumped into repair mode. "Yea..."

 _Boss, I just picked Tony up from the airport, alone._

"Alone? What about Ziva?" This was not the way he wanted to wake up in the morning.

 _Dumped him, basically on the way to the airport._

"Shit."

 _Yeah. Anyway, I didn't realize his place was still all torn up from the shooting so I brought him back to my house._

Gibbs was upright and pulling on shoes. "How is he?"

 _Dead on his feet. I've got him tucked into the guest room and I... I think I'd like to call in for the day, be here when he wakes up._

"I'll take care of it, Tim. Call if you need anything, otherwise, I'll see you later today."

-NCIS-

Vance looked up at the knock and groaned. If Gibbs was actually knocking instead of barging in, that meant it was bad enough that he figured Vance needed to be buttered up before he dropped the anvil. "What happened?"

Gibbs sat down without saying anything and he looked – unsettled. Vance absently wondered if he had enough insurance as he waited for Gibbs to say something. "DiNozzo's back, flew in late last night or early this morning. Alone."

"Alone?" The fact that DiNozzo had been with David for at least the last several weeks was the worst kept secret in the Agency, even if Vance didn't know exactly when they'd hooked up over there. "Is she flying back later?"

"No, I don't think so."

-NCIS-

When Tim finally heard noises upstairs, he was ready. "Here you go, Tony." Setting a cup and plate down on the nightstand, he stepped back while Tony pulled himself upright. Tony was sniffing before his eyes were open.

"Hazelnut?"

"Yep. Three hazelnut, four sugars in the coffee and a plate of fresh chocolate chip cookies."

"My hero." Tony picked up the cup as he looked around. "So, McSis never showed? She missed out on a nice room, Probie."

"Thanks. Apparently a cruise with the new boyfriend trumps big brother every time." Tim was leaning on the corner of the dresser as Tony inhaled a couple of the cookies. "You interested in some breakfast?"

Last cookie in hand, Tony was picking at the crumbs on the plate. "Yeah, I didn't realize I was hungry until I started to eat. Shower, then breakfast?"

Tim grinned at the hopeful expression. "Sure, you want me to show you where everything is up here?"

He got an answering grin back, even if it was a little forced as Tony pointed out things in the room. "Dresser, closet and a really comfy bed. Point out the bathroom and that's pretty much it, right?"

"Almost." Tim walked over to the dormer window and opened up the window seat before lifting a heavy canvas bag. "Fire ladder, just in case. There's one in every bedroom up here."

"You really were a boy scout, weren't you?"

Tim just shrugged and led Tony out into the hallway far enough to point out the bathroom, then retreated back downstairs as Tony went back into the bedroom. Tony was a big boy and could figure out the rest himself. If nothing else, the smell of frying bacon should get him moving.

-NCIS-

The cookies had been good, still warm from the oven and soft, just the way he liked them, but just that little bit of food reminded Tony's stomach that it had been ignored way too long. McGee must have heard it growling because he disappeared downstairs pretty quick to start breakfast. Tony's internal clock was still out of whack, but he thought it was mid-morning, judging from the sun. He plopped back down on the bed and picked up the coffee cup.

Scratching his stomach as he finished the rest of the coffee, Tony climbed back out of bed and stretched. He hadn't been lying, that was a darn comfortable bed and he'd slept better than he expected. He found some clothes that weren't too wrinkled and threw them over his shoulder as he grabbed his kit.

The bathroom was sparkling clean, but dated. Tony was pretty sure the original pink and green tile and fixtures would probably not be around too much longer.

By the time he left the bathroom, he could smell bacon cooking and headed downstairs, drying his hair as he went. Since McGee was still cooking, Tony decided to wander around. The front two rooms, what he assumed were the living room and dining room, were empty, the newly polished floors shining brightly. Turning toward the back of the house, Tony spotted a powder room that was almost as dated as the bathroom upstairs. Next to that door was the door into the laundry room. He'd seen it in stages, but not the completed version.

"Wow, fancy." He heard a laugh coming from where he though the kitchen would be, then a voice drifted toward him.

"You should have seen Gibbs trying to use the washer the first time."

Tony followed the voice and found that he was right – McGee was in the kitchen. "The Boss comes over here to do his wash?"

"Yeah." Tim scooped half of the eggs from the skillet onto each plate, then handed Tony one of them. "His machine bit the dust, so he's been bringing his clothes over here."

Something about that didn't quite add up. "You're talking about Gibbs, the original handyman. Why didn't he just glare at the broken part?" Yeah, definitely something wasn't adding up because McGee was grinning from ear to ear. "What?"

"Eat your breakfast, then I'll show you. At least I assume you've got clothes to wash?"

"Umm, yeah." Must be the jet lag. Tony shook his head and started eating. He was really hungry and scrambled eggs really needed to be hot to be good.

-NCIS-

Since he was flying solo today, Gibbs was stuck reviewing safety protocols for an international conference that was being planned. Any other day he'd be glad to be part of the planning team instead of being dumped into the middle of it at the last minute and having to cover somebody else's screw ups. Today, he was missing his team. McGee should be getting the information the other agencies wouldn't willingly share. DiNozzo should be pulling out the pieces no one even sees, cracking jokes and keeping the mood light and the work flowing. Ziva – Ziva should be calling in international favors and threatening people with paperclips.

Sighing, Gibbs leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. All these weeks, he'd been convinced that things would work out and his team would come through unscathed. Now, they were going to have to figure out how to go on from here.

-NCIS-

Gibbs glared at the text message on his phone. _Movie night. Bring beer_. Beer was fine, but it had better not be one of McGee's weird-ass science fiction movies. Finished up with the security assessment for Vance, Gibbs emailed it to the Director and headed out for the evening. First, he had to make a stop.

"Hey, Abs."

"Oh, Gibbs." Crying, she threw herself into his arms. "Tell me it's not true and Ziva's coming home."

There was nothing Gibbs could say, so he just tightened his arms around her and rode out the storm. Eventually, she pulled back, wiping her eyes.

"Tony's in love with her, Gibbs and I thought she loved him."

"Sometimes it's not enough and sometimes we're wrong." Gibbs reached up and brushed away a tear she'd missed. "We can't make her come home and love him."

"I bet she would if you told her to."

"Aww, Abs." Sometimes she was impossibly young and innocent, despite her age. "Do you really think they'd be happy like that?"

She fidgeted and finally shook her head. "No, not really. I wanna see him but Tim said tonight was a boys night only."

Now the beer and movie made more sense and Gibbs was instead hoping that it wasn't going to be one of those artsy movies of Tony's that he'd never willingly watch if he had a choice in the matter. "He got his heart broken, Abby. It's a night for drinking lots of beer and cursing every woman that's ever crossed his path. Steer clear and let Tony have a few days to get the worst of it out of his system, okay?"

"You guys will take care of him? Not let him do anything stupid?"

Gibbs lifted her chin so he could look her in the eye. "He's at McGee's house. Do you really think McGee's going to let him do something stupid while he's there?"

"No, I guess not."

"Relax, Abby. Tim's gonna watch over Tony and I'll watch over the both of them. It's going to be fine."

-NCIS-

Gibbs parked in his own driveway, but didn't even bother going into the house. Instead, he hefted the case of beer up onto his shoulder and went straight through his backyard and into McGee's. Tony and Tim were in the backyard, doing something with the stargazing tower Gibbs had helped Tim build and install so very precisely.

When they moved back, Gibbs saw that they'd mounted a projector on the shelf that was directly under the bottom side of the deck. Then while Tony was running the power cord out from the porch outlet, Tim hung a large white screen between two of the remaining trees on the other side of the yard.

"An outdoor theater in your back yard?" Gibbs couldn't mask the surprise in his voice and Tim turned to stare at him.

"You were here, you saw me measuring all of this before we installed the tower. You helped me install the tower."

"Well, yeah, but I thought you were just being anal."

Tim rolled his eyes, but the ringing of the front doorbell saved Gibbs from further embarrassment. At least until he realized that Tony was practically rolling on the ground, he was laughing so hard. Under the circumstances it was good to see him laughing, so Gibbs pretended to complain some more. "You didn't see him. He was using a laser to measure the location of every single plant on the property. A laser."

"And you didn't ask?"

"Naw, he was so excited about what he was doing." Gibbs walked over and tapped Tony on the back of the head. "How ya' doing, DiNozzo?"

"Been better, Boss, but it's nice being here with Tim. He makes sure I don't get in too deep, you know? Right now my head's a pretty scary place."

"You boys always take care of each other, that's a given. That's the way it should be."

Tim came back out with several pizza boxes balanced on one hand and a stack of pillows wedged under his other arm. "Hey, Tony, grab the blankets, okay?" As Tony went back into the house, Gibbs gave an approving nod to McGee before opening the case of beer.

"So what's the movie, McGee? It's not some foreign flick is it? I hate reading subtitles."

"Nah, it's a night for manly men blowing things up." The movies were already stacked up on the deck of the stargazing tower and after setting down the pizza and pillows, Tim picked them up to show Gibbs. "The entire collection of Die Hard."

"Not bad, McGee, not bad."

Blankets spread out, pillows fluffed and wedged into place, pizza and beer in hand, the movie was just starting when George Young's head popped up over the fence. Gibbs was ready to stand firm if the Young's were going to complain about the movie. "Hey, George."

"Hey, Jethro, Clara's on the warpath. Can I come watch the movie with you?"

Gibbs looked over at McGee, since it was his house. Tim just grinned at his neighbor. "Sure, but you've got to bring your own pillow."

George was settled in his spot with pizza and beer before the opening credits ended.

-NCIS-

"Boss, can I borrow your truck tonight?"

Gibbs looked up from his review of Vera's final report. The TAD had been more than happy to leave the team behind after this week. "Sure. You starting a new project?"

"Picking up a barbecue, actually. I could get it in the Prius, maybe, but then Tony would have to ride on the roof."

"Hey!"

Both Gibbs and McGee chuckled at Tony's protest and Gibbs pulled out his keys. "You need help loading it?"

"Thanks, but Tony and I should be able to handle it at the store. Could probably use some help when we get home." Tim caught the keys that Gibbs tossed to him, then tossed the Prius keys to Gibbs.

To Gibbs, there was something unnerving about driving such a silent car, but he was getting used to it. He drove straight to McGee's house and parked in his driveway before walking through the yard to get home. He'd probably have to help the boys assemble the barbecue, so a quick change of clothes was in order. Today would also be a good day to bring over the picnic table and benches, too. He wondered if McGee would realize that the propane tank would be empty and that he'd have to exchange it for a full one before he could fire up the grill.

Tool belt in hand, table and benches in place, Gibbs was waiting when McGee backed the truck in next to the Prius and Gibbs blinked at the size of the box. "That's bigger than I was expecting. You could camp in that box."

McGee grinned at him as he and Tony climbed out of the truck. "Yeah, I decided to go up a size once I was looking at them."

It took Gibbs a moment to figure out why that statement sounded wrong. "You made an impulse buy? You?"

Tony was laughing. "I know, will wonders never cease."

"Funny, guys. It wasn't exactly an impulse buy. I was going to buy the attachments later, but they had a promotion going on for free attachments for the bigger grill which made it almost cheaper to buy the big one instead."

"Keep telling yourself that, McGee." Still grinning, Tony moved to the back of the truck, along with Gibbs, while Tim jumped up into the bed of the truck. It wasn't all that heavy, but it did take the two of them to balance it until McGee got the other end down. Then Tony stepped back and let Gibbs and McGee carry it to the back yard. He did hold the gate open for them, and then when they had it on the back deck, he vanished into the house, presumably to change out of his designer suit.

Tim spotted the new table. "Wow, Boss, that's... you made that?"

Gibbs let a smile slip out as he ran his knife through the tape on the box. "You've got too nice of a back yard to use a card table out here, McGee."

"Thanks, Gibbs. We're going to get a lot of use out of that."

A slight nod was all the response he gave, but Gibbs couldn't quite hide the pleased look on his face.

The box was designed to open easily and assembly only consisted of bolting on the legs and a few more pieces. Gibbs was about to suggest moving it further away from the house when he realized that instead of a propane tank, there was an electric cord.

"An electric barbecue?"

"Well, the firebox is electric." After McGee checked everything again, he poured wood pellets into the box on the side and turned it on. Just a few short minutes later, smoke was billowing out the open cover.

McGee seemed quite happy, but Gibbs wasn't convinced. Propane was bad enough, but electric? Give him a real wood fire to cook on any day. "All right, if you boys are set, I'm heading home."

"If you want to stay, we're throwing some chicken wings on there in a few minutes. Dinner will be ready in less than an hour."

It was almost tempting, if it wasn't for the fact that the grill was electric and wings were tiny and mostly bones, but Fornell and Diane had been sniping at each other all day, judging from the whiny messages he'd been getting. "Thanks, but Fornell's probably on his way."

-NCIS-

Tony jogged down the stairs, smoothing his t-shirt. "You got it going already? That was fast."

"Yep." Tim was pulling a plastic zip-lock bag out of the refrigerator and Tony leaned close as he opened it. They'd gotten the recipe from the barbecue company's website and it still smelled as amazing as it did that morning when they'd mixed up the marinade and tossed in the chicken wings.

A quick check out the windows showed no sign of their boss. "Gibbs leave?"

"Yeah, he said Fornell was coming over."

Tony paused as he gathered the salad makings. "So, we're not feeding him?"

"Or we're feeding both of them."

"Good point."

-NCIS-

Using a pair of tongs, Tim fished the chicken wings out of the marinade and placed them on a rack to allow the excess sauce to drain. It probably wasn't quite as necessary as it would be with a traditional grill, but he wanted to limit the mess. They'd cook all the wings no matter what, but Tony had a point. If they weren't feeding anyone else, there was no reason to waste extra salad. The meat would be great as leftovers, as would the sweet potato wedges, so he cut up all the sweet potatoes they'd bought.

"So are we feeding two or four?"

Tim looked out the window, trying to see if any of the tree leaves were moving. "What direction is the wind blowing?" One thing he'd learned about Fornell, smelling food was the same as being invited.

"Wind?"

"If they smell dinner..."

"Good point."

-NCIS-

"Am I a stick in the mud?"

That was a loaded question, so Gibbs opted to go for a distraction. "You want a beer?"

Fornell accepted the beer, but didn't lose his train of thought. "Emily is still dating that musician and Diane is all for it. She actually called me a stick in the mud. Just because I don't like the guy... hell, it's my job to protect her from guys like him."

"Musicians?"

"Grunge musicians, Jethro. Damned kid can't even be bothered to shave."

Maybe he should have stayed for the electrically grilled chicken. "Since when don't you like beards?"

"Three hairs on his chin do not make a beard and you're changing the subject."

"What is the subject, Tobias?"

Wrong question as Fornell morosely dropped down onto the sofa. "Make me happy, Gibbs. Tell me what Tweedledee and Tweedledum are up to."

Gibbs chuckled and shook his head. "McGee went out and bought a barbecue today and get this, it's electric. Big ol' monstrous thing."

That got a reaction, just not the one Gibbs was expecting as Fornell sat up straight. "Looks like a sideways barrel with a square box on one end?"

"Yeah..."

There was a flurry of arms and legs as Fornell jumped to his feet. "Holy Hannah, he bought a Traeger."

Gibbs thought about it for a moment, remembering the logo on the side of the box as he followed Fornell toward the back door. "I think that was the name. Why? You've heard of them?"

"What? You haven't?" Fornell opened the back door and stepped out onto the deck. The smell of something smokey and spicy caught their attention. "The electric heater burns the wood at a precise temperature so you can smoke and cook at the same time."

Gibbs had to admit that it smelled pretty good, but before he could say anything, Fornell spun around and retreated back to the kitchen. When Gibbs followed him back inside, he found Fornell digging through his kitchen cabinets. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to be a proper guest when I go over there." Fornell straightened up, several cans of baked beans clutched in his hands.

Honestly Gibbs didn't care, but it was the principle of the thing. "With my food?"

Fornell was already back to the door. "Well, you coming?"

Gibbs grabbed a fresh 6 pack from the fridge because he wasn't sure just how thrilled McGee would be with some generic baked beans.

-NCIS-

The greens were washed and chopped up. Tony decided not to go further than that until the chicken was finished. The trash under the sink was nearly full, so after he added in the lettuce trimmings, he tied it closed and took it outside. McGee was really particular about his housekeeping, but this was one chore that was easy and simple and helped him feel like he was pulling his weight.

Outside, he waved to Mrs. Olson through her window and before he was finished out there, she came out onto her side porch, a pie pan in her hands. "Smells like you boys are cooking up something good."

"Yeah, Tim bought a grill and we're breaking it in tonight."

"Then how about a fresh blueberry pie to go with that?"

Tony walked over to meet her. "Only if you join us." Smiling, he took her arm and started walking.

"Oh, I don't want to intrude on you boys."

They arrived in the back yard just as Gibbs and Fornell walked through the other gate. "See, you're not intruding, you're joining us."

Fornell grinned widely as he held up the cans. "Smells pretty good, McGee. We brought baked beans." Setting the cans down on the grill's shelf, he leaned over Tim's shoulder as he lifted the lid. "Always wanted one of these, what do you think of it so far?"

McGee had to lean back as he turned so he wouldn't bump foreheads with Fornell. "Well, I've been cooking with it for a whole twenty minutes, but I think I like it."

Listening to Fornell pepper McGee with questions, Tony walked Mrs. Olson to the new table, where they met Gibbs. Once he'd transferred her over, Tony jerked his head toward the door into the house. "It looks like the chicken and potatoes are almost done, so I'll get the salad finished up."

Before he could leave, Fornell picked up the cans. "Hey, DiNozzo, you want to warm these up for me?"

"You know where the kitchen is, Toby. You got to do more than just steal a couple of cans of beans from Gibbs' place."

"Fine." Fornell followed him into the house.

Twenty minutes ago, Tony was just going to toss the lettuce with some bottled dressing and call it good. Now, with Fornell at the stove, it was time to up his game.

The lettuce went into the bowl as planned, but then he started pulling out everything he could find that he'd ever had in a salad. Baby spinach, canned olives and feta cheese went in first. There were a few baby carrots in a bag so he whacked thin strips off of them with a vegetable peeler. They'd nibbled on a bag of spiced nuts a few days ago, so Tony rooted around the cabinets until he found what was left of the bag and coarsely chopped them up before tossing them in. Satisfied, he added the dressing just as Fornell had the canned beans boiling and a few minutes later they both walked out with their food.

If McGee was surprised to see most of his food inventory now part of a very large, very elaborate salad, he didn't indicate it and just as they were sitting down George popped up at the fence.

"Man, what are you boys cooking? Sure smells good."

There was plenty and Tim waved him over.

George didn't bother to close the front gate and several more neighbors drifted over during the course of dinner. Some came just to take a deeper sniff, and some to sample the wares and drool over the new barbecue, but they all looked interested when George asked if they were watching another movie tonight.

Tony looked to McGee and when Tim gave a subtle nod, he slipped inside to grab a DVD along with the projection system and the screen.

"All right, tonight's movie is _Tinker, Tailor, Sailor, Spy_." Tony was pleased with his choice. Still lots of action, but less explosions and more plot.

One of the neighbors grinned as he sat back down. "So, are the movies a weekly thing? I could get used to this."

Tony could recognize how nice that would be and also how easily McGee could be taken advantage of, so he took it onto himself to lay down some rules. "Yep, but you bring your own meat for the grill."

There were some nods, then George spoke up. "If we drop it off early, can you do it like this, Tim?"

"Sure. Just make sure I have the meat early enough to marinate."

-NCIS-

"Last night was fun." They were on a lunch break and Gibbs was upstairs so Tony sat on the corner of Tim's desk while they ate. "What are you looking at?"

Tim shifted his monitor enough that Tony could see it better. "For the guest bathroom."

He knew what McGee was going to do with the floor and could easily see the vanity fitting into the small room. The furniture styling with the traditional legs and curved front wasn't nearly as heavy looking as the standard vanity that was in there now. "Nice. You won't have as much storage, but you won't really need it in a powder room."

"I know, and look," Tim clicked a link on the bottom of the page and the picture changed to a small wall cabinet that matched the vanity. "This can go on the wall to the right of the vanity."

"Nice. Are you getting rid of that blue, green and gold foil wallpaper? I mean, it kind of grows on a person."

"Like a fungus you mean? Yeah, it's going. I'm replacing it with this wallpaper." Another window was opened and Tony found himself looking at something that reminded him of burnished steel. Gibbs returned at that moment, so Tony turned to him.

"Hey, Boss, what do you know about putting up wallpaper?"

"Just that I'd rather give myself a root canal."

Tony looked back at Tim to see that he was already running a search for wallpaper installers.

-NCIS-

It was Thursday. They'd finished the floor in the guest bathroom last night just in time because today Mrs Olson let the workers in and the wallpaper was being installed. Between Gibbs and McGee, Tony had felt like he had two left hands, but he'd kept the debris cleaned up while they worked, and honestly the room wasn't big enough for more than two of them working in there at a time.

Now it was just he and Gibbs aboard the Yard as Gibbs had let McGee go early to approve the wallpaper installation and settle his account with them. He'd ride back with Gibbs and they were going to stop at the store on their way home. Gibbs was buying beer for the next movie night and Tony was picking up the supplies for another batch of the marinade for the chicken.

Mrs. Olson had spread the suggestion among the neighbors that a few more side dishes would be appreciated. They didn't know exactly what to expect, but Gibbs had encouraged them to just keep it casual and go with the flow. Tony had been easily convinced, but he suspected that Tim would be worrying most of the night. His phone rang and speak of the devil, Tim's picture popped up.

"Hey, McGee, how's it look?"

 _How's what look?_

Gibbs was watching him and Tony made a show of rolling his eyes. "The wallpaper, isn't that why you went home early?"

 _Oh, yeah, it's great. Turned our exactly like I wanted._

"Then what's got you so rattled?" Tony's question got Gibbs up onto his feet and over to his desk so Tony put the call on speaker.

 _The neighbors dropped off chicken wings. Mrs. Olson let them in while she was here with the wallpaper installers_.

"Wasn't that the plan? They buy it, we marinate it and cook it."

 _Tony, there's over two hundred and fifty pounds of chicken wings here! The fridge is full, the freezer is full and there's almost a dozen coolers here, all full of chicken wings._

He couldn't help it, Tony burst out laughing. "Guess I need to buy more marinade."

-NCIS-

Tony was still laughing at him when Tim ended the call and resumed pacing. He had who knows how many people coming over Saturday and he didn't have a working guest bathroom. Sure the walls and floor were beautiful, but the sink, the toilet and everything else that made it functional were in a pile in the garage.

Taking a deep breath, he got to work.

He had the drain assembled and installed in the sink when he heard a car pull into the driveway. He tracked the footsteps and voices until they were inside the house. "I'm in the garage."

Summoned, Gibbs and Tony arrived at the utility room bearing bags from the grocery store and the first thing Tony did was pull out a ten pound bag of chicken wings. "We didn't want you to run out."

"Funny, DiNozzo."

Tony gave an exaggerated sigh and turned to Gibbs. "No sense of humor."

Tim knew his arms were flapping around, but he couldn't help himself. "The entire neighborhood is coming over and I don't have a guest bathroom, guys."

Gibbs set the two cases of beer on top of one of the coolers and laid his hands on Tim's shoulders. "You've got everything, right?"

"Yeah."

Apparently trying to be helpful, Tony piped up. "He's even got the fancy little soaps for that bathroom."

The smile on Gibbs' face was infuriating and reassuring at the same time. "We will get it done."

Tim took a deep breath, forcing a calm he really didn't feel quite yet. "Yeah, yeah, okay."

-NCIS-

Gibbs couldn't help but smile at his youngest boy. The simple movie nights that had started with the three of them had grown exponentially, and he didn't blame him for being a little rattled. However, he'd been through enough projects with McGee to know that everything was planned to the tiniest fraction of an inch and everything was identified and more than likely already purchased. If the pressure of the party wasn't there, McGee could have the room done in a day or two by himself, in plenty of time for the weekend. All he had to do was to get him to calm down and focus. "We will get it done."

"Yeah, yeah, okay."

That was better. Now to get them moving. "All right, is there anything Tony can do with the food while you and I get the sink put together?"

Tim was looking calmer already. "The tips need to be cut off the wings."

"Okay, I can do that." Tony dug around in one of the bags and came up with a box of gallon sized Ziploc bags. "I'll trim them, rinse them and bag them. Then tomorrow we can make the marinade and divide it between the bags."

Gibbs thought that sounded like a pretty good plan and Tim was nodding. "Thanks, Tony."

As long as the floor is level, installing a new toilet usually takes less than an hour. Between the two of them and McGee's obsessive prep work, they were finished in under twenty. McGee then ordered pizza and by the time it arrived they'd finished assembling and installing the faucets in the sink.

"Let's carry the vanity into there and dry fit it before we take a break." Gibbs had always been more of a fly by the seat of his pants guy when it came to home remodeling. Jump in, tear it apart, find the problem and fix it, planning it out in his head as he went.

Experiencing the smooth flow of McGee's projects, he could see the allure of planning out every square inch, right down to the decorative touches. Sure enough, when they brought in the wooden piece, the holes in the back lined up perfectly with the pipe stubs on the wall. Even the legs were centered on the tiles. "Looks good, McGee. Let's take a break and eat before Tony wipes out the pizza."

It was a late night, but by midnight the sink was attached to the vanity, the pipes and drains were fully functional and all two hundred and sixty pounds of chicken wings were prepped.


	6. Chapter 6

"I realize you're not on call this weekend, but there's been some chatter, so I need your team to stay close to DC, Gibbs."

"Not a problem. Tony and I will be at McGee's place starting tonight and the rest are joining us on Saturday along with about half the neighborhood – or more."

Vance scanned through what he knew about the team. It wasn't anybody's birthday and there were no holidays coming up this weekend. "Neighborhood block party?"

"Something like that." Gibbs sat on the corner of Vance's desk, which told him nothing was wrong at the moment. "McGee's got an outdoor theater set up in his back yard, started having movie nights when DiNozzo came back from Israel."

Vance nodded. He'd wondered exactly what McGee had done to help DiNozzo bounce back so quickly. "So now everybody comes for movie night?" Gibbs actually smiled as he scratched the side of his face and Vance knew it was going to be good.

"Last time McGee was breaking in his new barbecue with the three of us. Every time the wind changed direction, he'd get a few more neighbors coming over to see what he was cooking up."

There was a time when Vance enjoyed manning a barbecue. "What was he fixing?" Leaning back in his chair, he took a swallow of coffee.

"Chicken wings in some sort of sauce, then smoked. It was pretty good. Anyway, word went out anyone was welcome to join us, but they had to bring a side dish and provide their own chicken wings. Don't know how many people are coming, but two hundred and fifty pounds of chicken wings showed up this week."

Vance swallowed wrong and started coughing. Finally he was able to clear his throat. "Two hundred and fifty pounds?"

"Yeah, then Tony and I added an extra ten – just in case."

He couldn't even visualize how much space that would take up. "Where does one store two hundred and sixty pounds of chicken wings?"

"Well, some were in the freezer, but he had to get them thawed, so they're in his fridge, my fridge, Mrs. Olson's fridge and his garage is pretty much filled with coolers." Grinning at him, Gibbs stood up. "You and the kids are more than welcome to join us."

"Bring a side dish and chicken wings?"

"You got it."

-NCIS-

"Damn." Tony let out a low whistle. "That looks really sharp, McGee." The colors might be different than his cream colored apartment, but the sophisticated elegance in the finished guest bath reminded him of home.

At first glance the walls looked like burnished, patterned stainless, but touching it didn't leave fingerprints. Combined with the grays of the floor, it was a perfect foil for the ebony side table that held the sink. It was tall enough that a man wouldn't have to bend down to wash his hands and the tall legs made it comfortable to stand there. The large mirror and the light sconces were traditional in shape, but the bright chrome made them look fresh and updated. As he'd been joking earlier, McGee had everything done, right down to the tiniest detail including perfectly folded towels.

"Thanks, Tony." McGee was bobbing his head slightly with that little half smile he'd have when he was really pleased with himself.

Gibbs was standing further back, where he could see into both the bathroom and the utility room, so Tony joined him, as did McGee. From there the different but coordinated tile jobs really shined.

"One bathroom down, two to go." Gibbs grinned as he looked at McGee. "Which one's next?"

"Don't want to tear apart the upstairs bathroom while it's being used every day, so I think I want to do the kitchen next."

Tony felt his eyes widen. "That's a big job."

"Not really. I like the layout of the kitchen and the bones of the cabinets are still good, it's just the finish that's worn out."

Gibbs was nodding. "Like the utility room."

"Exactly." Tim walked toward the kitchen and the other two men followed him, listening. "This island used to be attached to a short wall. I think I want to put it back."

Tony looked carefully at what McGee was pointing out. The refinishers had done an excellent job on the floor, but if you knew where to look, the patch that ran along the back of about six feet of cabinets could still be seen. Even more obvious was the patch in the ceiling. "Why'd they take out the wall?"

They both looked at Gibbs, who shrugged. "No idea, that happened while I was in Russia. They lost that whole bank of upper cabinets when they lost the wall, though."

"Cabinets are down in the basement."

There seemed to be a silent conversation between Gibbs and McGee, but before Tony could ask, Gibbs was talking. "Put the wall back up, hang the cabinets back up, paint all of them like in the utility room. Do the counters like that, too?"

"Yeah. I really like them. We'll have to do them a little different because I want to change out the sink, but it won't be too much harder. Then replace the appliances and the light fixtures and we're done."

To Tony that sounded like a lot of work. "Easy-Peasy."

Apparently McGee wasn't picking up on the sarcasm in his voice. "Exactly." Gibbs was nodding, too, so it looked like they were doing this.

-NCIS-

Abby stood in front of her closet, staring at her clothes. Just what did one wear to an outdoor movie and barbecue? She'd wanted to blow it off, but Gibbs wouldn't take no for an answer.

 _You're the first one to complain that we don't spend enough time together away from the job. 1700, don't be late._

Finally deciding on a pair of skull covered overalls and a black shirt, Abby started to dress. She'd heard bits and pieces of how McGee was updating his house, that he was using some black in every room that he'd done, but she couldn't imagine him being able to pull off a proper Goth style. She'd just have to smile and plan on helping him fix it later.

Gibbs said he'd covered the meat for her so, kale salad in hand, she drove to McGee's. Other than the team, everyone was walking which made parking a little easier and she found a spot across the street from the house.

The ivy was totally gone, showing the traditional Tudor detail in its full glory and Abby could imagine the place filled with Gothic details. Inside, however, she was a little disappointed. The first two rooms were still empty, even though the floor was beautiful. Past the stairs were two finished rooms. Granted, there were varying touches of black in both rooms, but they were sophisticated and elegant, nothing at all like what she'd been hoping for.

"Hey, Abs." McGee appeared from somewhere, startling her but taking the big bowl from her hands. "What do you think?"

"It's very," she struggled to find a word, "classy."

"You hate it."

Ouch. She put on her brightest smile. "No, of course not. I can appreciate other people's style, McGee. I guess I was expecting more of a bachelor pad vibe, like Gibbs' place."

Before Tim could answer her, Ducky arrived, walking in right before Palmer and Breena. The three of them joined Abby and McGee, peering into the utility room, then the bathroom.

"Timothy, this isn't anything like I was expecting, but it's beautiful, very elegant. Tell me, lad, are those new cabinets?"

"In there? No, those are the original ones, just painted."

Ducky was practically gushing and Breena had Jimmy taking notes, so Abby took her bowl back, tilting her head toward the back of the house. Tim gave a brief nod as he started answering more of Ducky's questions.

The door to the deck was open and she found Gibbs and Tony both out there. Tony took the salad and found a place for it on the table while Gibbs opened a beer for her. "Did I hear Ducky come in?"

"Yeah, Jimmy and Breena are here, too. They're all grilling McGee about what he'd done to the place so far." She smiled at them. Abby was happy for her friend, she really was.

-NCIS-

"Why are we doing this?" Jared's voice had a definite whine to it, but Vance stayed calm.

"Because we were invited and Gibbs and his team were very helpful to all of us when your mother died."

"When she was killed, you mean." Jared turned to stare out the window and Vance sighed. The counselors had told him that the kids would eventually be very angry about their mother's death, but it was still difficult to deal with. He'd caught himself many times turning to as Jackie what was going on with their son. Instead, he had to settle for trying to imagine what Jackie would tell him. "Yes, Jared, when she was killed and Gibbs, DiNozzo and McGee all went above and beyond to do everything they could to help us. Now we've been invited to help celebrate Agent McGee's new house and that's an easy way we can say thank you."

"Why are we taking raw meat, Daddy?"

Kayla was really trying to help. Every day she reminded him more and more of Jackie. "It's a barbecue, Sweetie. Apparently McGee fixed chicken wings last week and the smell drove the neighbors crazy, so everyone was told to bring wings and he'd fix them. Two hundred and fifty pounds of chicken wings showed up a few days ago to get added to the marinade. Then Gibbs and DiNozzo bought ten more just to make sure there was enough."

The story was worth it as Kayla burst out laughing and even Jared cracked a smile.

"So, there's going to be a lot of people there?"

"Either that or we're eating a hell of a lot of wings, Son."

They parked behind a bright red hot rod and climbed out of the car. Jared was eyeing the car, but breathing deeply as the smell of the smoky meat was in the air. "I'm voting for eating a hell of a lot of wings, Dad."

He'd used the swear word first, so he couldn't really say anything and the momentary smile of Jared's face made the evening worth it already.

-NCIS-

Most of the neighbors had come through the side gate, but Tony and Tim were still keeping an ear out for the doorbell. Tim was busy with the grill so Tony took it upon himself to answer it this time. "Director Vance, welcome. Kayla, Jared, glad you guys could make it. Come on in, Tim's getting the first batch of chicken wings on the grill."

Kayla had the cookies they'd brought so Vance held up the bag of chicken wings. "We're all off the clock tonight, DiNozzo, so I'm not going to answer to 'Director'. Where does McGee want these?"

By now Tony could prep wings in his sleep. "Here, I'll take them. All the other food goes outside. Gibbs is directing traffic and McGee is parked in front of his grill."

They'd progressed far enough into the house that they could see the activity in the back yard and Vance's face lit up at the sight of the large grill. It wasn't a surprise when he followed Kayla outside. It was a little bit of a surprise when Jared just plopped down on one of the kitchen stools.

"Not hungry?"

Jared shrugged and picked up an orange from the bowl, staring at it before he started rolling it around on the counter. "Not really in the mood to go out there. It's not the same as..."

The words dried up, but Tony heard them anyway. More importantly, he remembered saying them himself. "Not like when your mom was alive."

"Yeah."

"I felt the same way after my mom died. Wanted to live in the memories, but at the same time I hated to be around anything that reminded me of her."

Jared's head snapped up at Tony's confession. "Your mom?"

"I was a few years younger than you were. Something like that takes a long time to get over. Really, you never get over it, but you do learn to live with it, to remember the good without wallowing in the bad."

"That's pretty much what the shrink keeps saying. At the end of every session he wants me to talk about one happy memory. At the end of every family session, too."

Tony nodded. He hadn't known that Vance was seeing a therapist, but it made sense. He was a good man that loved his children very much. Of course he'd do whatever it took to help them deal and adjust after the loss of their mother. Tony's father, on the other hand, was already starting divorce proceedings against the first stepmother by this point. "Sounds like a really good plan. Your dad loves you guys very much to do those kinds of sessions with you."

Jared nodded, but he seemed lost in thought as he watched out the window as his father peered over McGee's shoulder, pointing out something on the grill. Tony continued to work, knowing that Jared would talk again when he was ready. He was just putting the wings in the last of the marinade when the words came.

"When we were living in California, Dad used to grill all the time. I remember one time it was really hot and muggy like it is today. Dad was complaining about the heat and Mom turned the hose on him to help him cool off. Man, we were all drenched by the time it was done."

Tony liked his job way too much to turn a hose on the Director, but there might be another option. After quickly washing his hands, he dug around the drawers and found the large box of balloons Abby had given McGee as a housewarming present. At the time he thought it was odd, now it was perfect. "I'm not going to turn a hose on your dad, but after dinner, how about we start a water balloon fight?"

"Cool."

Plan established, Tony started cleaning out the various coolers while Jared started filling water balloons to put in them.

-NCIS-

It was well past midnight when everything was cleaned up, the last of the guests had left for the evening and the three men finally collapsed onto the sofa. Gibbs looked over at Tony. "What made you think of the water balloons?"

Tony gave a one-shouldered shrug without looking either of them in the eye. "Something that Jared said about his parents, thought it might help."

"Well, it worked. I don't think I've seen Vance that happy and relaxed since before he lost Jackie." Gibbs turned to McGee. "When did you get those balloons?"

A soft snore was his only answer.

-NCIS-

"Ziva, dear, are you all right?"

Locked inside the bathroom, Ziva rinsed out her mouth and took a few deep breaths. "I'm fine, Aunt Nettie. It must have been something I ate." She willed her last remaining relative away from the door so she could make her escape. She had so much to do before she had to vanish.

-NCIS-

"Whoa, what's that color for?" Tony had been expecting the semi-gloss black like on the utility room cabinets, but this was a bright apple green. Even Gibbs seemed surprised at the vivid color.

"It's for the insides."

That made sense since some of the upper cabinet doors had glass inserts, but since they'd spent every evening for the last week prepping and sanding the outsides, it posed another question, but Tim answered before it could even be asked as he set down a can of liquid sandpaper. "One coat of this and then we can paint the insides."

That brought up yet another question. "Why didn't we use that on the outside?"

"Because the outside needs to be perfectly smooth."

-NCIS-

"Hey, Bishop, since you're now officially part of the team, we do a movie night once a week at McGee's place if we're not on a hot case."

Tim looked up and smiled. "Yeah, it's nothing real elaborate. I grill up whatever meat people bring and the rest is potluck. I've got a screen set up in the back yard and everybody has pillows and blankets to lay on. You and your husband are welcome to join us."

"Thanks, that sounds like fun. Jake's out of town this week, but I'd love to come. What time?"

"I usually fire up the smoker about 1800, movie starts when it's dark."


	7. Chapter 7

"So, Delilah's coming home tomorrow? Guess you'll want me to clear out today, right?"

Tim looked up from his computer screen, frowning. "I thought the repairs on your apartment weren't going to be finished before next week?"

"Well, they're not, but seriously, your girlfriend is coming home after being away for weeks and weeks. This isn't the time to have a buddy underfoot, even if that buddy is me." Tony was pretty sure he had the right blend of cocky and smirking on his face.

"It's a big house, Tony. We'll be fine. Delilah and I aren't living together and I'm not kicking you out."

Tony couldn't help it, the question just popped out. "Really?"

"Really. Besides, tonight's a movie night."

"You're right, it is. What are we watching tonight?"

"I have no idea. Ducky is in charge of the movie tonight."

Gibbs' western flick last week had been pretty good, but this... "He's bringing a documentary, isn't he?"

Tim glanced around, then leaned closer. "I've got a back-up, just in case."

-NCIS-

Tim bounced on his heels as he waited next to baggage claim. Delilah had said she could catch a cab, but he couldn't wait to see her. Finally he saw her through the crowd. It took a moment, but then she smiled and shook her head as she came closer.

"What are you doing here, Tim? I said I would get a cab."

"I couldn't wait." He kissed her cheek and took her carry-on bag as they walked over to where the baggage was arriving. "So, what do you want to do your first day back?"

Delilah gave a tired smile as she started pointing out her suitcases for Tim to grab. "Eight hours of sleep in my own bed, then a hot shower before getting my report ready. I hope you didn't make any plans that included me today."

He'd taken a day of vacation and there was a bottle of champagne in the refrigerator, but he plastered a smile on his face as he lifted another suitcase. "Nothing that won't keep. I had a hunch you might be busy."

"Thank you for being so understanding." Delilah raised up onto her toes to kiss his cheek. "Maybe tomorrow or the next day I can come and see your new house. Did you take pictures of that farmhouse? Those colors were so pretty."

Tim couldn't imagine his grand old Tudor filled with beige and cream with oak trim. "No, those colors really wouldn't have worked in this place."

"Really? That's too bad. Well, I'm sure we'll figure out something." Delilah headed toward the parking lot, leaving Tim with her carry-on and three suitcases. Luckily, the big one had wheels.

-NCIS-

"What are you doing here? I thought you and Delilah had plans? Tony gave a waggle of his eyebrows as good measure when Tim came in and sat down only a few minutes past the official start of the day.

McGee gave a shrug as he watched his computer boot up. "She just wants to sleep and get caught up today so I dropped her off at her place."

"Oh." Tony had ridden in with Gibbs this morning and planned on hanging out at his place to give the couple some privacy tonight. "So your plans are on hold until tonight?"

"Nah, tomorrow, if I'm lucky."

Tony glanced over at the rest of the team. Gibbs had a slight frown, but Ellie wasn't picking up on the tension as her head bobbed up and down. "I heard that she was running multiple operations while she was overseeing the construction. That is so cool."

"Yeah, cool."

A few hours later Ellie was getting lunches and Gibbs was hiding in Autopsy in case Diane showed up again, so Tony sat on the corner of McGee's desk. "You okay?

Tim hesitated for a minute before he sighed. "Yeah, we go through this every time she's out of town for the job. I guess she's just got to spend some time decompressing before she wants me around. We'll be fine by tomorrow. She had a lot of pressure and responsibility while she was in Utah."

"I guess so. Hey, now that she's back we should squeeze in one last movie night before the weather turns bad."

"Midweek movie night?"

"Sure. Now that the case is over and Emily is safe, we deserve a break – Gibbs, especially."

Tony looked around carefully to make sure they were still alone. "I half expect him to bring a sleeping bag and hide in your basement so Diane can't find him."

They both grinned at that image before there was a noise and Tony scurried back to his desk.

-NCIS-

"A movie? In your backyard?"

Tim grinned as he handed her a coffee. She'd been back a few days but this was the first time they'd gotten to meet up. "We've been doing it at least once a week, it's great. Tonight's not our usual night so we probably won't have too many of the neighbors, just the team. It's Tony's turn to pick the movie and he promised me a romantic comedy."

"And you're grilling?

"Yep. Grilled and smoked tri-tip steak with corn on the cob."

"Well, okay. I'll see you tonight I guess."

After she left the coffee shop, Tim relaxed. They were back on track again. Now to see what she thought of the house.

-NCIS-

"So that's what those big eye hooks are for."

Gibbs looked up to see what Tony was talking about. McGee was hanging something on the backyard tower. It took a minute to see that it was a hammock, but it wasn't stretched out very far. Gibbs gave a grunt as he and Tony continued to shuck corn. If he'd known McGee had planned on hanging a hammock out there, he'd have suggested making the tower a little wider.

A few hours later he was thinking McGee was brilliant as Tim and Delilah were snuggled together as the fabric wrapped around them. Tony grinned at him, also recognizing the brilliance of the plan.

-NCIS-

"So, what do you think?"

The end credits were playing and Delilah was cozy and sleepy. "The movie was pretty good and you actually know what you're doing with a barbecue."

"Yeah?"

He sounded a little disappointed so she tried again. "You can give me the full tour of the house after everyone leaves tonight."

Tim leaned even closer. "Well, almost everybody. Tony's place is still getting repaired, so he's been staying here."

"Oh." Her first reaction was to climb out of the hammock, but she didn't want to cause a scene. "I thought we were going to spend some time together, just the two of us."

Tim didn't seem to be picking up on the problem, which made her even more annoyed. "It's a big house and he's upstairs."

"Oh, well, okay." She couldn't believe that he wasn't booting DiNozzo out now that she was back, but they could always go over to her place.

At least Tony did disappear upstairs when the movie night was over and Delilah got her first real look inside. It was elegant, at least the parts that were done, but still miles away from the look of the farmhouse. "Are the painted cabinets just until you can get new ones? Something more modern?"

"No, I love the detail on these. Look at the way the handmade glass pops against the black and the bright green. It really didn't even show up before."

"You're at least getting granite counter tops, right?" At the moment they were plywood, except for the one surrounding the sink. As soon as the granite was installed he would realize that she was right about the black cabinets.

Tim shook his head. "Nope. Everybody seems to do granite nowadays. It'll be stainless, just like in the utility room."

He looked pleased as he led her to the utility room. It did look like a show house, she'd grant him that, but it was dramatic in a way that she was sure she'd tire of instead of the neutrals she preferred. "This is such a big undertaking, Tim. Maybe you should be hiring a designer."

"Why?"

Delilah suppressed a sigh. If he ever asked her to move in with him, she'd have a lot of work to do. She was almost afraid to look at what he had in the bedroom, but a chirp from her phone saved her. "Duty calls." He looked sad, but didn't argue.

"Let me walk you out to your car."

-NCIS-

"So, are you buying candy yet?"

"What?" Tim was sorting through notes on their cold case, refreshing his memory before they interviewed the witness again.

They were at a stoplight so Tony pulled the file out of McGee's hand and dropped it down on the seat between them. They'd both reviewed it enough that they could quote the entire file and it was a long drive. "Halloween, McHomeowner. Aren't you going to have dozens of the little monsters ringing your doorbell this year?"

Tim glanced down at the file but when Tony glared at him, he didn't reach for it. "I don't know. Mrs. Olson said there usually aren't very many kids that come down our street. Even though..."

Tony recognized that tone and that expression. It usually preceded a new project that he and Gibbs would get roped into. "What?"

"I was thinking about really doing up the outside of the house. It might get a few more kids to come around."

"Turn the front yard into a cemetery?" He could imagine Abby getting involved in that.

Tim grinned, but shook his head. "Nah, I've actually got something else in mind, but I need to find one of those old style satellite dishes, you know, those really big ones."

He knew what McGee was talking about, but he didn't have a clue what kind of Halloween decoration that could become, so Tony just grunted as he pulled onto the freeway.

-NCIS-

Three hours interviewing a witness and all they had to show for it was the possibility that the car she'd seen might have had two doors instead of four and it might have been more of a teal color instead of blue like she'd originally thought. The wheels were shiny, but she didn't know if that meant hubcaps or chrome wheels. Then she admitted that the last car she'd really paid attention to was the 1955 Buick her first husband had driven, which told them the trip had been pretty much a waste of time, except for giving an elderly lady some company.

Back on the freeway, Tony shook his head. "That was a waste of time."

"Yeah. She reminds me of Mrs. Olson a little bit."

Tony ran his tongue over his teeth, checking for chips. "Too bad she can't bake like Mrs. Olson."

"True." With a tilt of his head, Tim dug a roll of antacids out of his pocket and popped two in his mouth before offering the pack to Tony.

"Thanks, man."

They were about half way back to the Yard when Tony suddenly pulled over.

"What?"

Tony pointed at a garage sale. "Look." Tim turned his head and saw the satellite dish, marked with a large 'free' sign.

"Perfect."

Tony still didn't know what it was for, but he knew he'd be finding out.

-NCIS-

"What, exactly, are we helping McGee install tonight?" Gibbs wasn't sure what was going on, but it had both the boys cackling all week.

"It's going to be great, Boss, you'll see." Tony looked around, then grinned and leaned over his desk. "It'll be even better than when he dyed his lawn green."

"You heard about that?"

"Saw the pictures, too."

Judging from the grin on Tony's face, Gibbs was suspicious that he was the subject of the pictures Tony was talking about. "Uh huh, so is this going to be another one of his midnight projects?"

"Well, yeah. It's gotta be if he's going to surprise the neighbors with it."

"You got your go bag with you? If we're doing this in the dark, you'll want to be there to see the neighbors' reaction in the morning." Considering how much time DiNozzo spent at McGee's place Gibbs wasn't sure why he'd ever bothered to move back into his apartment.

In answer, Tony just held up his bag as he shut down his computer. "I need to ride with you, McGee's got to pick up some sod on his way home."

Sod, something they'd needed the truck to bring home and all the scraps of crime scene tape McGee had managed to salvage from the trash over the last few weeks. Gibbs didn't have a clue what they were doing. "You boys need any tools from my place?"

"Nope, got everything. Just need an extra pair of hands to set it up."

Well, that didn't give him any clues either. However, since McGee was picking up sod and a pizza, that meant that Gibbs and DiNozzo arrived at the house first. They both had keys and went straight on in. Today Gibbs continued on into the garage, suspecting that he'd find answers in there. He stared for a few minutes before he could even ask.

"Is that a space ship?"

"A flying saucer, actually. A crashed flying saucer to be precise."

Gibbs circled around the flying saucer, taking it all in. They'd started with one of the old style satellite dishes, the ones that were almost eight feet across. Some sort of broken Plexiglas bubble made up the 'crew compartment' where one 'dead alien' could be seen. Green gel was splattered along the broken side in a realistic pattern, obviously as alien blood. More green gel was smeared on the surface of the ship, probably to tie in with the second alien body that was off to the side. Now the crime scene tape and the extra grass made sense.

"So, the aliens invaded and crashed in his front yard?"

"Yep. Cool, right?"

Gibbs was already imagining George and Clara's reaction. "Very cool."

-NCIS-

"Halloween's in less than a week, George. Where are we going this year? Did you get reservations?"

"Not yet, Dear. I'll do it tomorrow." After a longing look at the coffee maker that was just beginning to brew, George Young shuffled to the front door. He knew why Clara hated holidays, but there really weren't enough kids knocking on their door to making leaving worthwhile any more.

Focused on getting his paper, George didn't notice anything unusual until a car slammed to a stop on the street. At first he thought Larry Miller's annoying dog was out of the yard again, but the occupants of the car were staring in his direction. Instinctively he checked to make sure his robe was tied securely around him, then he realized that they were laughing and pointing at the house next door. Turning, George found himself staring at a crashed UFO.

"What the..." George started laughing right along with them. At first glance it was pretty realistic, right down to the crime scene tape and the plowed up grass along the edge that had hit the ground first. It took a second, then he realized that the 'damage' was actually potting soil and sod. This was too good to keep to himself. "Clara? Clara, get out here."

It wasn't until he yelled for her that he noticed that he'd dropped the paper. He was bent down, picking up the various sections, when she rushed out, apparently thinking that he'd fallen.

"George, what's wrong?"

Trying not to laugh, he pointed and watched her reaction. Clara turned, jumped, and then stared at the elaborate display. Then she did something she hadn't done in years. She laughed.

-NCIS-

Inside the stately Tudor, three curious faces watched the neighborhood discover the new addition. Seeing Clara laugh for the first time since her son had run away from home, Gibbs reached up and squeezed their necks. "You boys did good. Now that this is the house to see for Halloween, what are you dressing up as?"

Tim just stared blankly at Gibbs, either he hadn't thought that far ahead or he was in shock that Gibbs would even think about costumes – Gibbs wasn't sure. Instead, Tony made the decision for them.

"Hey, there's aliens crashed in your front yard. We've got to be the Men in Black."

That finally shocked Tim out of his stupor. "We? You're coming over to help hand out candy? I thought you hated kids."

"Eh, I don't hate them. I might even get used to them eventually. Besides, to watch the reactions, it'll be worth it. So, Men in Black?"

Tim thought about it for a second. He had the perfect suit. He'd worn it to too many funerals in recent years, it would be nice to have some fun associated with it for a change. "Yeah, okay, Men in Black it is."

"Great." Tony wrapped one arm around Tim's shoulders. "Now, can you get me a noisy cricket?"

"How about one of those flashy-thingy?"

"A Neuralizer? That'll work."

-NCIS-

"Timothy, lad, a word if I might?"

"Sure, Ducky, what's up?"

The team's latest case hadn't involved a body so Ducky was getting a jump start on his planning. "Could I prevail on you to smoke a turkey for Thanksgiving on that fancy grill of yours?"

"Probably." Tim uncertain tone and the immediate sound of the keyboard brought Ducky around the desk where Tim already had the grill company's web site up on his monitor. Ducky peered through his glasses as they skimmed the various recipes and Ducky pointed out the one that caught his eye.

"That one looks rather tasty. It's a different brine than I've used before, but combined with the smoking, I believe it would taste wonderful."

The mention of food brought Ellie Bishop over to check out what they were looking at. "Oh, if you want to make a practice run, I'll help try it out."

Ducky and Tim exchanged amused looks. Ducky in particular was amazed at the amount of food the petite woman could consume.

"Thanks, Bishop, I'll keep that in mind. Maybe I'll do a whole chicken like this tomorrow."

Ducky smiled and patted him on the hand. "Excellent, it's all settled." Now to tell Jethro he was hosting this year. They really needed to get Timothy inspired to decorate his dining room, or at least to furnish it.

-NCIS-

"It's Christmas morning, McGee. Why do you have your nose buried in a computer?" Tony smirked as Tim jumped. Apparently he hadn't heard Tony and Gibbs come in. Gibbs had the coffee cake from Bishop and continued on into the kitchen to start the coffee while Tony had detoured to rouse McGee from his office.

Tim blinked a few times before settling back into his chair. "All those sick kids, I didn't get food planned or ordered for New Year's Eve."

"Breakfast first, Tiny Tim. Gibbs is sharing Bishop's coffee cake." That got a grin and they headed for the kitchen, their grins growing wider as they found Gibbs staring at McGee's new coffee maker.

"McGee, why do you have to take something simple like making coffee and turn it into something so elaborate?"

Tony hadn't been with McGee when he bought the coffee maker – at least he assumed Tim had bought it – but he'd seen them on TV, so he leaned his hip against the counter and waited for the show.

"It's still simple, Boss, see?" McGee picked up a round capsule and dropped it into the machine before turning the handle. A press of the button and the machine started to make noise.

"A k-cup machine? That's not exactly the kind of coffee I like."

"Not a k-cup."

By now the coffee was coming out of the nozzle and it did smell a lot better and stronger than any pod machine that Gibbs had ever seen. Tony knew that because it smelled better and stronger to him, too and he'd witnessed it when some poor fool tried to give Gibbs some of that weak coffee. Gibbs was peering down into the cup, looking both intrigued and worried, which made Tony laugh to himself.

"Why is it foamy?"

"That's crema, like on espresso."

"But it's a full cup of coffee?" The intrigue was winning out over the worry.

"Yep." The machine was done brewing so Tim used a spoon to fold the crema through the coffee before handing the cup to Gibbs. Tony leaned closer, waiting for the reaction.

Gibbs sniffed at it a few times before taking a tentative sip. His eyebrows went up and Tony relaxed. "Not bad, McGee. Not bad at all."

McGee opened the top of the machine again and the dark green capsule ejected and slid into the compartment on the side. Next, McGee held up a deep golden colored one. "Tony, hazelnut?"

"Oh, yeah. Does that thing put milk into it, too?"

In answer, McGee retrieved a carton of milk from the refrigerator and filled a separate silver pot. One button was pushed on that and by the time the coffee was done, there was steamed milk ready to be added.

Judging from the smirk on Gibbs' face, Tony's enjoyment was obvious. "Where did you get that?"

"Christmas present from my sister. Can I tell her that you guys approve?"

"Oh, yeah." Tony enjoyed another sip and even Gibbs gave a nod as he cut up the coffee cake and the three of them enjoyed a quiet Christmas together.

-NCIS-

Wearing a baggy coat, Ziva slid into the booth, her back to her target. He stiffened, but didn't acknowledge her arrival, waiting for her to speak first. "He is back on the radar, is he not?"

Malachi Ben-Gidon carefully set his cup on the table. "Let us handle it, Ziva."

"He is responsible for the bombing that killed Tali."

"He did not set off the bomb."

"No, but he financed it and much more. We both know that."

Malachi stood up, still not looking at her. "Leave it alone, Ziva."

Once she was alone, Ziva shook her head. "Like hell I will."

-NCIS-

Tim nodded to himself as he smoothed the sheet that was doubling as a tablecloth. He'd thought Gibbs was crazy when he suggested a table made out of plywood and sawhorses, but after a few decorative touches, it looked pretty good. Apparently that was how Shannon would feed dozens of Marines the week before a deployment and the trick still worked.

To make it even easier, Ducky had made the suggestion that everyone bring one dish so that there would be plenty of food. Even at that, Tim had several appetizers in the fridge, ready to go.

The front door rattled, then swung open. "You ready for tonight, Probie?"

"Hey, Tony, you got the champagne?"

"Well, of course." Tony struck a dramatic pose, leaning against the entry into the dining room. "I present to you Blanc de Noirs, an elegant sparkler with the essence of strawberries and black cherries along with a touch of citrus and a creamy finish."

"Sounds good."

Gibbs arrived next with a platter of egg rolls. "Looking good, McGee. Where do you want this?"

Tim checked, they were cold, but in an oven-safe, disposable pan. "Why don't I go ahead and stick them in the oven?" Although the kitchen cabinets had been finished weeks ago, Tim had waited for the after Christmas sales to buy his new appliances and they'd been installed just a few days ago. With the added wall cabinets he'd gained, Tim had sacrificed the drawer under the double wall ovens to add a warming drawer to the new set. He planned on using that to keep the extra food warm instead of trying to cram everything in the two ovens at the same time.

While he was taking care of the egg rolls he heard Tony answer the door and a few moments later Abby arrived with a platter of her own. "Hey, Abs, what ya' got?"

She tilted the plastic wrapped tray down so he could see it. "Shrimp and crab legs. You got room in your fridge until we're ready to eat?"

A new stainless steel, French door refrigerator was in the kitchen and the old one had been moved out to the garage so there was plenty of room. "Yeah, second shelf. In fact, let me grab the rest of the stuff that I need to put in the oven." The removal of three baking sheets left even more room.

While he worked, Tim watched Abby out of the corner of his eye as she explored the newly finished room. Finally he had to ask. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think I'm getting used to the McGee version of black and I love that sink. My grandmother used to have one almost like it – except hers was white porcelain."

The massive farmhouse style sink, made modern with stainless steel and no rounded corners had been the hardest part of the kitchen overhaul and a cruel reminder that not everyone was as precise with their measurements as McGee, but Gibbs had managed to shave off the sixteenth of an inch on the cabinets to make it fit. "Yeah, that's one of my favorite things, too."

"So, are you done in here?"

"Almost. The tile for the backsplash was back-ordered, but it's supposed to arrive at the store on the second."

She snagged a couple of the shrimp as she closed the refrigerator doors. "Wow, you mean you actually started this without everything already bought and stored in your garage?"

Tim chuckled and he heard more laughter as the rest of the team joined them in the kitchen, so he decided he'd better explain. "Yeah, well, we broke it down into stages. Besides, that tile was my favorite by far. It was worth the wait."

"Cool. What's it look like?"

He leaned close and took one of the shrimp from her hand. "Guess you'll have to come back when it's done."

More voices out in the hall brought McGee out of the kitchen. Jimmy and Breena Palmer arrived with veggies and dips, Ducky behind them with his own contribution of various appetizers. Another familiar car was pulling up so Tim waited.

"Delilah, hi, glad you got back in time. How are your folks?"

She gave him a peck on the cheek. "They're fine, wishing I could have stayed longer and wishing you had come with me."

They'd had this argument before. Flying across the country for just a few days didn't seem worth the effort or expense, especially when the team could have been called back into work at any time, but he just plastered on a smile. "Maybe next year."

She had a tray of something from the grocery store, so Tim took it as they walked into the kitchen where the rest of the team had gathered. The bottom oven had just beeped and Gibbs was pulling his pan of egg rolls out. More food went into the ovens and they all stood around the kitchen discussing recent cases.

-NCIS-

As usual, Delilah was mostly quiet around the group, but she did start a side conversation with Ellie about the upcoming gala.

"Tim still hasn't bought a tuxedo, and the gala is in less than two weeks."

"Doesn't he already have one? I'm pretty sure I heard Tony mentions something about that. Fred from accounting was arguing about his receipt for having it dry cleaned after a case a while back."

Delilah rolled her eyes. "Right, I really want him wearing some old tuxedo that he's used for undercover work when I'm being honored at the gala. It's like he refuses to understand how big of a deal this is for me."

"We've been pretty busy tracking Parsa. I'm sure he's just distracted."

"I hope so." The top oven was free again, so she walked over to warm up the ham and cheese puffs she'd bought at the store. That was the last thing to be warmed, apparently, as Ducky removed something from the bottom oven as she was working and no one moved in to use it next. By the time her appetizer was hot, everything else had been moved from the counter, the fridge and the warming drawer to the dining room table.

-NCIS-

"Eight."

"Seven."

"Six."

"Five."

"Four."

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

"Happy New Year."

The champagne was popped open, there were hugs and kisses all around and for a few short minutes everything was right with the world.

-NCIS-

"The Conrad Gala, that's his target."

Gibbs was already on the move, Hollis Mann right at his heels. "Call McGee."

Tony grabbed his phone and hit the speed dial. It rang a few times before Tim's voice came over the line. Not surprisingly, he was expecting Tony to tease him, but Tony started shouting he heard Tim's voice. "The gala is Parsa's target. Get everyone out of there."

 _What?_

The call was breaking up, Tony wondered if the frequency the drone was using was interfering with communications. If it was, it was close. "Tim, get out of there!"

In answer, he heard a roar, then a massive explosion before the line went dead.

"Tim? Tim!"

-NCIS-

"Oh, God." Tony stared at the smoking shell of the hotel. Firefighters streamed past him, making sure the hot spots were out as paramedics dealt with the lesser injured victims. He found someone who looked to be in charge and went to her, badge held high. "I'm looking for two people. NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee and DoD Analysist Delilah Fielding."

"I'm sorry, we've been taking survivors to the hospitals as fast as we could get the ambulances here. You can check in with the triage team over there. If their injuries were minor, they might be there." Someone else came up to her and she turned away.

Tony jogged over to where she'd pointed. Tim had looked sharp in his new tux, but everyone was now crumpled, dirty and bloody. He dismissed the men in uniform as he frantically looked for the two people he cared about. Finally, he heard a familiar voice.

"No, I need to get to the hospital. I have to find Delilah."

He followed his partner's voice and found him sitting on a broken planter while a medic was trying to get an oxygen mask back on him. "Tim? Oh, thank God. Are you all right?"

"Tony? They already took Delilah to the hospital. It's bad."

Tony nodded as he grasped Tim's face, taking in every detail. The burn on his cheek, the wound on his forehead, the raspiness of his voice. "We'll get you there, but we need to get you taken care of first." He turned to the medic. "Well?"

"Keep that mask on him for a few minutes, will you? He's not too badly hurt, considering, but he breathed in a lot of that crap digging people out."

Tony nodded, shifting his hands so that he had his thumbs over the edge of the mask on each side. "I got him." He leaned close, so that their foreheads were almost touching, and began to breathe loudly, hoping that McGee would eventually sync with him. It worked and by the time the medic returned Tim's breathing had calmed.

The medic looked pleased. "That's better. We'll get you on the list for transport, unless..." He turned and looked at Tony, who nodded.

"I'll take him. Do you know which hospital his girlfriend was taken to?"

"Sorry, dispatch was handling that and they went by how many trauma patients each hospital could handle.

"If it helps, they started with the closest hospitals that could handle level 1 trauma and went out from there and I think she was one of the first ones to be transported. I'll warn you though, he'll get his own injuries treated quicker at one of the hospitals that didn't get slammed so hard, one that isn't geared up for major trauma."

"Thanks." Over Tim's head Tony looked at the other man carefully, trying not to wince when he shook his head at the unasked question. Whatever happened to Delilah, it wasn't good.

Making a guess and crossing his fingers, Tony picked the most likely hospital. Tim was immediately taken off to the side to have his injuries assessed and Tony went to the desk. "Delilah Fielding?"

"Family?"

He fudged, knowing that Tim wouldn't be offended under the circumstances. "I'm her brother-in-law. She and Tim were in separate ambulances, but they were supposed to bring them to the same hospital."

The blend of worry and hope, neither of which were faked, seemed to do the trick as the nurse pulled up the information on her computer. "She's in surgery to remove shrapnel right now. It'll probably be a few hours, I'm afraid."

"Okay, thanks."

The walking wounded were being treated in a temporary facility set up in the waiting room to keep the chaos controlled in the ER. Tony wandered around for a few minutes before he found McGee sitting stoically as his face was poked and prodded. "Tony, is she here?"

He hated seeing his Probie so scared. "Yeah, she's already in surgery. That's good, right? It means she made it this far."

-NCIS-

"You've got to get back, don't you?"

"I'm sorry."

Tim shook his head. He was grateful beyond words that Tony had come for him in the middle of a case. "It's okay. Parsa's still out there."

"You going to be all right, here by yourself?"

Not really, but neither of them had a choice. "Sure. I'll be able to go upstairs and see Delilah pretty soon."

Tony hugged him for a moment and Tim soaked up the support for a moment before Tony patted his back and pulled away. "Call if you need anything."

"I will."

An hour later Tim watched Delilah being rushed back into surgery and remembered that his phone was in pieces back at the hotel.


	8. Chapter 8

Tim watched as the familiar figure came closer as he waited in baggage claim. "Penny."

"Timothy." She smiled warmly and wrapped her arms around him. "I have missed you so much. How are you?"

He saw her take in the fading scars and knew he could be honest. "It's been a rough couple of weeks."

"Oh, darling, I know it has. Delilah is at rehab now, right?"

"Yeah. She's determined to not let being paralyzed slow her down." The word was still painful to say, but he was working on it.

"That's a wonderful attitude for her to have, but right now I'm more worried about you."

He plastered on a smile. "I'm okay, especially now that you're here. How long can you stay?"

"Only a day, I'm afraid. Next time will be longer, I promise."

Hugging her, he walked them over to pick up her suitcase. "I'm going to hold you to that, Penny. After the weather warms back up and it's dry enough to party outside again."

"Yes, your sister told me all about your fancy grill. She can't wait to finally have some of your barbecued chicken wings."

There was an advantage to the fully covered deck. "I'll cook some up tonight, then you can brag to her about them."

She laughed and shook her head. "Oh, Timothy."

"Hey, that will teach her. She's bailed on me the last two times she's promised to visit."

-NCIS-

Tony knew that McGee would be coming in late this morning after taking his grandmother to the airport. He'd been disappointed that he and the gang hadn't gotten to see her, but they didn't want to impose on such a short, overnight visit. He'd still bought McGee coffee and a doughnut this morning and hoped that his friend would get there in time to enjoy them before the coffee got too cold or they caught a case.

Speak of the devil, the elevator dinged and McGee rushed out, actually earlier than they'd expected him, and carrying something under his arm. "Hey, McGee, how's Grandma?"

Tim rolled his eyes as he snagged the coffee cup on his desk. "She better not hear you call her that."

"Why not?" Bishop looked curious and Tony realized that introducing the two of them would be fun, but he'd let McGee explain that one. He gave Tim his 'amused and curious' look, knowing the other man would fold.

"For the same reason she uses her maiden name. She wants to be known as her own person, not defined by society's view of her role in anyone else's life."

"So, when you were a kid, you called her 'Penny'?"

"Yep."

Bishop seemed to have some trouble with that. "Wow, strange, especially for her generation."

Tony laughed at that and even Gibbs chuckled. "You've never met Penny."

After Tim had a few bites of his doughnut, Tony got curious. "So, what's that? A present from Penny?"

"A photo album, actually. From when I was a kid."

"Ohh!" Tony was already scooting his chair over. "Little Timmy pictures. Hand it over." Tim fussed but Tony could tell it was all for show and a few seconds later, he had the album in his hands. Even Gibbs and Bishop wandered over as he opened it to the first page.

Tony wanted to tease, but the first picture he saw of his friend almost broke his heart. Tim was standing next to his parents, a sad look on his face, his father's hand on his shoulder. Tim's shirt was crumpled up under his father's hand as if there was a lot of pressure on it and his bright green eyes were huge. The next few pages showed Tim in a variety of poses, at different places and with assorted family members, but those sad green eyes were in every photograph.

He knew he had to say something, but Tony couldn't joke about the lack of smiles. Not with the bits and pieces he'd heard about McGee's childhood. He flipped forward a few pages. "So, how old were you when you finally grew into those big eyes, Timmy?"

Before he got an answer, Tony found a picture where Tim was actually happy, with a wide grin on his face. No other people were in the picture, it was just Tim with a medium sized dog on his lap, licking his face.

Bishop let out a little squeal. "That's such a cute dog. What's his name?"

Tim's fingers trailed across the picture. "His name was Gizmo." The name fit the dog with his brown and white spots and over-sized ears.

There was a sadness in McGee's voice that Tony picked up on. He was pretty sure Gibbs did, too. "You grow up with Gizmo?"

"Nah, I only had him for about a year."

"What happened?"

"Got a B on my report card."

Tony had a pretty good idea which parent to blame. "Your dad gave away your dog because you got a B?"

For a few seconds he thought Tim wouldn't answer him, then he shook his head. "Shot him, then made me bury him. Wanted me to learn that every failure would have consequences."

Tony was speechless and on Gibbs he saw an expression he'd never seen before. Only Ellie could find the words. "Tim, oh, my God, that's awful."

He gave a bitter laugh, closed the album and stuck in his desk drawer. "What was really awful was getting a letter of apology and a corrected report card the next day. Apparently my teacher had forgotten to credit me for my social studies project."

Nobody knew what to say to that and Tony wasn't surprised when McGee found something in a cold case to run by Abby. Once he was gone, they all returned to their desks and their own cold cases. A few minutes later Gibbs left for coffee and Ellie leaned Tony's direction. "Did you have any idea?"

He shook his head. "Not a frigging clue."

"Do you think Gibbs knew?"

Tony would never forget the expression on Gibbs' face. "No, I don't think so." He wanted to do something to cheer his friend up. "Hey, let's treat McGee to his favorite lunch, okay? I'll just leave a note on the boss's desk."

-NCIS-

Gibbs hadn't even made it out the door before he decided that he didn't have the patience to wait in line at the coffee cart so he turned around and headed back to the bullpen.

 _Do you think Gibbs knew?_

He froze at the question, then waited for them to leave. Gibbs heartily approved of the plan to treat McGee to lunch and smirked at the note instead of a call. That was Tony's fallback plan if he was worried about being told no. Not willing to tip his hand, he waited until they left before coming around the corner.

Alone in the bullpen, Gibbs stopped at McGee's desk and opened the drawer. It took just a moment to find the picture of Tim and Gizmo. Up close, the happiness on Tim's face was even clearer and Gibbs thought about Bishop's question again.

"That bastard would have a permanent limp if I had."

-NCIS-

Delilah had left for Dubai three days ago and they'd all watched McGee closely. He'd been quiet since she'd left so when the message arrived that the long back-ordered bed had finally arrived, Tony jumped all over it.

"All right, new project. Are we starting tonight?"

"Bathroom first, I'm meeting with the contractor the day after tomorrow."

Tony felt a little thrown by that. Everyone knew how proud McGee was of the fact they'd done almost all the work themselves up to this point. Across from McGee, Gibbs looked equally stunned.

"We're not doing it ourselves?"

"This time there's structural work, which means permits and inspections." McGee looked at both of them, then sighed. "Before she left, I asked Delilah to move in with me so I want that bathroom fully accessible."

That made painful sense and was a stark reminder of how permanent Parsa's damage was. "How much do you have to change the layout?"

"The over-all layout won't change too much, but the water closet needs to be wider and the shower needs to be barrier free, which means they have to tear out the sub-floor and lower it. I also want to have them install the supports for a lift over the tub. She's convinced she can get herself in and out of the bathtub all right, but I want the option available to add later without having to tear everything up again. Anyway, some of the equipment has to be sold to a contractor, plus all the permits and everything, this is one project I'm willing to let the pros handle."

"And the bedroom?"

"Soon as they're done with the bathroom, we'll get started. No point in painting the walls if they're going to rip out doors and widen them."

"Good point."

-NCIS-

They were on their way back from an interview when McGee asked to stop at the bank. "I just need to sign some papers, it'll just take a minute and then the contractors can start tomorrow."

Gibbs changed lanes, preparing to make the necessary turn even as he questioned McGee's decision. "You're getting a second mortgage on the house? They're charging you that much to do one bathroom?"

"No, I got a home equity line of credit instead."

"Thought those pretty much dried up after the market crashed."

Tim gave a tilt of the head in acknowledgment. "It's a lot harder to get one nowadays, but I had an appraisal done last week and I've already tripled my equity in the house between the upgrades and the improved market."

Gibbs had no idea how large of a mortgage McGee had gotten in the first place to know how much equity he'd started with, but that much of an increase was impressive. "Not bad, McGee."

"Yeah, and with it being a line of credit, I only have to take just what I need, when I need it."

For anyone else, that would be a worrisome temptation, but McGee was extremely conservative with his finances, so Gibbs didn't worry at all as he turned into the bank parking lot. "Okay, get your papers signed. I want to get back to the Yard before DiNozzo and Bishop eat all the pizza."

-NCIS-

"Wow."

Gibbs and Tony had swung by McGee's place to take a peek on the last day of the bathroom remodel and Gibbs had to agree with DiNozzo's assessment. "This will up his equity even more."

The contractor in charge came in and shook his hand before peering around to see who else was with them. "Agent Gibbs, good to see you again. Is Agent McGee with you?"

"Nah, we wanted to take a look by ourselves." When the contractor chuckled, Gibbs felt his eyebrow raise up. "Problems?"

"No, it's actually been kind of nice to have a client who understands the process so well. Well enough that he makes some of my guys a little nervous."

"So I understand." Gibbs had heard about the 'grout inspection' that had resulted in an almost total re-do of the shower floor and the firing of the sub-contractor. The new tile installer had obsessively measured each row of marble tiles on the replacement floor and had generously upgraded the walls to full slabs of marble. Gibbs suspected that they'd decided to eat the cost of the more expensive slabs to save on the labor and the grief of having such a perfectionist for a client.

Tony was poking around, testing the new drawers to see how easily they rolled shut. "Looks like it was worth it."

Gibbs had to agree. The original massive tub and surround had been toned down to make room for the larger shower and toilet room and everything now looked balanced and in proportion. The white and gray of the marble provided the majority of the color, but there were several decorative pieces in the bedroom, waiting to be installed, that had the touches of black they'd come to expect. Everything was wide enough to allow a wheelchair to easily move around and one side of the vanity was open under the sink to allow Delilah to roll right up to the sink. Even the mirror on that side was angled enough that she'd be able to do her hair and make-up easily. All in all, McGee and his contractor had managed to create a bathroom that was fully accessible yet still beautifully elegant in keeping with the rest of the house. "Looks good, I understand he's meeting you this afternoon for a final walk through?"

"Yep. We're just finishing the final caulking and cleaning right now, so we'll be ready for him. And I understand you're helping him with the bedroom this weekend?"

The furniture was in the garage, wrapped up in plastic and waiting for them, so Gibbs gave a nod while Tony laughed.

"And if we don't catch a case, the bedroom will be done by Sunday night, right Boss?"

Now it was Gibbs' turn to snort. Sunday afternoon was more like it.

-NCIS-

Monday morning was Tony's turn to bring breakfast for everyone and Abby pounced on him the second he walked into the lab. "So, is it done? How does it look?"

"Of course it's done and it's beautiful. All silver and gray with black accents and a few turquoise touches. If Delilah doesn't like it when she gets back from Dubai, then she has no design sense." Tony almost said something a little less nice, but he held his tongue. He liked Delilah, he really did, and Tim was in love with her. He just wished she'd been a little happier about McGee's home. Tim had been putting everything into fixing it up. All of the team was happy for him, even Abby had gotten on board about the place, but he'd never sensed that level of enthusiasm from Delilah. He realized that Abby was staring at him. "What?"

"Turquoise?"

"Yeah, or teal – what's the difference between them? Anyway, it looks really good. Even James Bond would like that bedroom. When she comes home, he'll be ready."

-NCIS-

"Umm, how'd we beat McGee here?" Tony looked around, but his partner didn't jump up out of the bushes anywhere.

Gibbs had his key and unlocked the door. "Said he had to stop somewhere, should be here soon."

They'd just stuck the pizza in the oven to keep it warm when Tim pulled into his driveway. Tony twisted the cap off a beer and held it out as Tim walked in. "Here you go, Buddy. Pick up a new movie for us to watch?

"Actually, no." Tim looked nervous and was practically vibrating as he pulled out a little black box. He took a deep breath and opened it. "Tell me what you think."

The box held a white gold ring with a perfect diamond solitaire. Tony's breath caught in his throat. "For Delilah? You're going to pop the question?"

It was a rhetorical question as Tony had already grabbed him into a hug and was pounding on his back, but Tim answered anyway. "Yeah, I'm gonna do it. Gonna surprise her with it."

"Good for you, good for you. I'm really happy for you. Wait a minute, does she even know you're coming?" He was pretty sure he'd overheard some plans. "She does, right?"

Tim gave one last look at the ring in his hand before closing the lid. "She thinks I'm flying in next Tuesday, but Vance gave me a few extra days, so I'll be there on Thursday and we'll get an extra weekend together."

"Oh, man, that's great." Tony pulled him close again for one more hug, grinning at Gibbs over Tim's shoulder. Gibbs wasn't a demonstrative man, but there was no mistaking the look of pride on his face.

Trying to look serious, but failing miserably, Tim pulled back enough to look at Tony. "So, can I get a ride to the airport on Thursday instead of Tuesday?"

"Absolutely."

-NCIS-

Back home after dinner with the boys, Gibbs wasn't all that surprised to hear his front door open and footsteps coming down the stairs. Tony sat on the bottom of the steps without saying anything for a few minutes until Gibbs dumped out the nails and handed him a drink. "I'm happy for him, I really am. It's just going to be different, you know? She probably won't want us underfoot as much and no more just walking in."

"Have to start knocking before we barge in."

"Exactly." Tony swirled the liquid around in his glass. "He's going to be a great father, though. He and Delilah are going to have some crazy smart kids."

"Oh, yeah." Gibbs watched Tony carefully, not quite sure what he was thinking, which was a rare event.

"Can't quite see McGee teaching them baseball and football, not really. They'll need Uncle Tony for that, won't they?" His fear finally vocalized, Tony thew back the bourbon, wincing at the burn.

Gibbs squatted down in front of him, resting his hands on Tony's knees. "He's going to need you more than ever. Who's going to make sure he looks good on his wedding day? Who's going to make sure he doesn't lose the wedding ring before the ceremony? Who's going to sit at a bar with him when they have their first fight? Who's going to be the favorite uncle that spoils the kids and buys them the things that every kid wants and every parent says no to?"

Tony gave a watery laugh and nodded. "He's my best friend and I want him to be happy, but I don't want to lose us, you know."

"You won't lose it."

"Promise?"

Gibbs nodded slowly as he pulled Tony to his feet. "Yeah, I promise. Come on, it's late. You can crash on the sofa for the night."

"Thanks, Boss." Tony looked over at the workbench where Gibbs had been working on some carving designs. Whatever it was, it had a heart in the center, surrounded by flowers. "Getting started on your wedding present already?"

Gibbs didn't answer, just ruffled Tony's hair as he steered him up the stairs.

-NCIS-

"You got everything?"

"Yep."

"The ring?"

Tim patted his pocket. "Right here."

"Your coat?"

"Wearing it."

"Oh, yeah." Grinning, Tony waggled his eyebrows. "Packed enough underwear?"

"You checked my suitcase before we left the house, remember?"

"Yeah." Turning serious, Tony laid his hands on Tim's shoulders. "She'd be a fool to say no, and Delilah is no fool."

"Thanks, Tony."

They hugged, Tony slapping him on the back before they pulled apart. "Good luck, Buddy."

A final smile and Tim vanished into the crowd going through the security check. Tony waited until he saw the top of McGee's head on the other side of the security gate before moving over to stare at the planes on the tarmac. Estimating which one was McGee's, he settled in to wait, not leaving until it took off and vanished into the clouds. Cold pizza and reruns were waiting for him at home as he drove McGee's car back.

-NCIS-

They'd reached cruising altitude and the seat belt light was off. Tim adjusted his seat back slightly, getting comfortable for the long flight. Patting the square box in his pocket, he closed his eyes, imagining his upcoming wedding.

 _Gibbs, looking every inch of the proud father, straightened Tim's collar before squeezing his shoulders._ _Nothing was said, but the expression on his face said it all. He nodded and stepped back, turning the nervous groom over to his best man. Tony grinned and bumped his shoulder against Tim's. "You want to sneak over to the reception hall and raid the bar?"_

 _"Nope, don't need to be drunk to do this."_

 _"All right, then, let's get you married."_

 _Tim, with Tony at his side, took his place at the altar, the minister beaming at him. Tim turned and looked out at the pews, seeing everyone there. His sister and grandmother were in the front row of the groom's side, along with Gibbs. Behind them were Ducky and Breena Palmer, along with Ellie's husband. The last few guests filtered in as the music changed. Ellie and Abby were beautiful bridesmaids, escorted by Jimmy and Ned. As they took their place, the traditional wedding march started and Delilah's father smiled down at his daughter, kissing her cheek before he started to wheel her down the aisle. Tim felt his heart swell as she came closer, elegant in ivory satin._

 _The music stopped and the minister stepped forward. "Who gives this bride away?"_

 _Mr. Fielding looked over at his wife, smiling through her tears on the bride's side. "Her mother and I do." Kissing his daughter one last time, he placed her hand in Tim's. The bride and groom stared at each other, smiling, until the minister cleared his throat. Slightly embarrassed, Tim straightened up and turned to face the minister._

 _"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to..._ starting our decent." Tim jerked awake as the seat belt chime sounded. Rubbing his face, he straightened up and checked his pocket again before looking out at the lights as his plane started its decent. He'd had that dream so many times during the almost thirteen hour non-stop flight, it felt real.

-NCIS-

Tony had earned two head slaps by the time Gibbs left for coffee. He'd already called and confirmed that Tim's flight had landed right on time and he knew that he wouldn't hear anything else until it was time to pick him up from the airport. The champagne was already chilling in his fridge for the 'impromptu' celebration when Tim came home and announced the news.

Ellie could see that he was tired and grumpy and when Gibbs vanished into the elevator she came over to sit on the corner of his desk. "Why don't you call McGee?"

He shook his head. "No, they're probably celebrating by now. I don't want to interrupt." Ducking his head, he silently cursed at his slip that Bishop immediately picked up on.

"Celebrating?"

"Yeah." Tony looked around, but they were along so he leaned close to Bishop, pitching his voice low. "He took a diamond ring with him."

Ellie studied him carefully and Tony was grateful that she didn't call him on his lack of enthusiasm because he didn't know how to explain it. Tim was his best friend, and had found the girl of his dreams in Delilah. Tony should be happier for him. He wanted to be happier for him.

-NCIS-

Much like New York and DC, Dubai never sleeps. It took some time to get through customs, the ring caused some extra questions, but eventually he was able to step outside the airport. It was about 2200 local time, so Tim hailed a cab and gave the driver the address for Delilah's apartment. He was pretty sure the driver added in a healthy tip for himself, but he was too happy to care.

The doorman was surprised to see him this early, but since he was expected in a few days, let him in without buzzing Delilah. The building was rather posh with excellent security, which Tim had expected. He'd vetted every building available to foreigners living in Dubai, making sure she was as safe as possible.

Sometimes it took her a few minutes to get to the door, but tonight she opened it almost immediately and he smiled at the sight of her. She was in one of his favorite nighties, one he'd bought her for her birthday, her hair slightly mussed. The lighting was dim and soft music played in the background. It made him want to scoop her up out of the wheelchair and carry her into the bedroom. He smiled and shook his head. "Who spilled the beans and told you I was coming early? Tony promised to keep it a secret."

"Tim..."

It took a second but he finally realized that she really was surprised to see him. Looking past her, he saw the remains of a dinner for two, candles burned down low. A tightening in his stomach made him want to bend over. Before he could find the words to ask, a deep voice called out from the back of the apartment. "Tip the delivery guy and then come back to bed, Delilah."

Biting back a sob, she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't want you to find out like this."

Tim stared, a scream bubbling up in his throat. He swallowed hard and shook his head before he turned and walked away. He didn't wait for the elevator, finding the staircase instead. Fifteen floors and he was breathing hard by the time he hit the lobby, but he needed more. Barely acknowledging the doorman, he went out the door, picked a random direction and started running.

* * *

a/n - Not a particularly popular story here, so I'm just going to upload the rest of it and get it over with. 3 or 4 chapters a day, depending on how fussy the site is. Nothing on Saturday, though, since I'm working.


	9. Chapter 9

Tony smiled at the woman across the table from him, making small talk as he tried to remember her name. He'd met her at a coffee shop yesterday after he'd dropped McGee off at the airport and they'd made a date for the following day. She was blonde, with big boobs, the typical woman he'd pick when he wanted to forget what mess his life had become. What was her name? It had reminded him of the Matrix, something close to Trinity... Trish maybe, or Trisha. That was close, but it still wasn't right. Tracy, no, Trina – that was it, Trina. He remembered just in time. "Wow, Trina, that's a lot of pageants to enter."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Tony wanted to kick himself. He should have suggested how stupid the judges were to not realize her beauty or some such crap. Honestly, his gut was churning and he just wanted to go home. An evening setting tile with McGee sounded infinitely better than listening to her whining and bragging, although he was impressed that she could manage to do both at the same time. Nevertheless, it was almost a relief when his phone rang. He held one finger up to stop her chatter as he answered.

"Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo."

 _Have you talked to Tim?_

It was Delilah and she was obviously upset. Tony straightened up, the edge of the phone cutting into his fingers before he forced himself to relax his hand. "No, he's in Dubai with you."

 _He was._

"What happened?" Now she was openly crying on the other end of the phone.

 _I'm so sorry, I meant to tell him._

"What?" Tony absently wondered if it was possible for his stomach to actually crawl out of his body. "You meant to tell him what? Delilah, what did you do?"

 _I wasn't alone when he showed up._

"Oh, God." Tony laid his head in his hand. "Please tell me that you were having a girl's night in and were painting each others fingernails."

 _I never meant to hurt him, Tony._

He was ready to puke. "So, when Tim showed up with a big old diamond ring and dreams of a house full of brilliant and beautiful babies, did he walk in on you having a fling, or does the new boy toy actually mean something to you?"

 _I really meant to tell him, but he sounded so happy every time we talked._

"And it was a lot of fun, stringing two men along?" She didn't have an answer to that. Tony's throat was so dry he could barely swallow, but if he picked up his glass of water he was as likely to throw it as drink from it. "Have you seen him since then?"

 _No, and I've looked. He never checked into any hotels here and he's not listed on any outbound flights. There's been no activity on his credit cards and the local police don't have any record of contact. I've even checked the morgue._

Tony stood, tossing some money on the table. He knew that McGee has the technical know-how to vanish if he wanted to. He knows that without a doubt, but at the same time he was visualizing his friend laying in some alley half-way around the world, beaten and mugged, giving up.

"Don't worry, I'll find him." Disconnecting the call, he looked at his date, trying to find enough caring about her to apologize. "Trish, I mean, Tina..."

She waved him off. "I think we both know this wasn't working. Go, find your friend. I hope he's all right."

Tony was already heading for the door, calling Gibbs.

-NCIS-

Dinner with Fornell was a regular occurrence for Gibbs. Sometimes it was at his house, sometimes at Fornell's. They'd even invited themselves over to McGee's a time or two while Gibbs' washer was on the fritz. Today they were at a bar that many agents enjoyed, pigging out on the daily special, corned beef and cabbage. There was a game on the big TV and Gibbs almost didn't hear his phone over the yelling and cheering.

"Yeah, Gibbs."

 _Boss, Boss._

"Tony? What's wrong?" He catches Fornell's eye and starts to stand.

 _Are you still at the Yard?_

"No, I'm at Mulligans with Fornell." He nods at Fornell, who turns to catch their waitress's eye. While Gibbs continue to try to get information out of Tony, Fornell mimes the shape of a box, the universal signal for needing to-go boxes. With most of the client base being officers of the law, she knew to respond quickly as Gibbs stepped away, trying to calm DiNozzo. "I can be back at the Yard in a few minutes. Now tell me what's going on."

 _It's Tim._

"What happened, is he hurt?" A terrorist attack in Dubai was his first thought and Gibbs spun around to look at the television, checking for breaking news. All he saw was Washington scoring again. Fornell had the bill settled, so he moved toward the door, Fornell right at his heels with the rest of their dinners.

 _No, Delilah wasn't alone when he showed up. Guess it got lonely in beautiful Dubai._

"Shit." Gibbs leaned hard against his truck, remembering how bad it had been for him years ago but at least his ex's had the excuse of him not trying hard enough. McGee had put everything into their long distance relationship. "Did you talk to him?"

 _No, nobody has. He left her building and just fell off the face of the earth. We have to find him, Gibbs._

"We will, Tony. We will." He tried to sound calm and reassuring, while inside he was raging. "Pack whatever you need and meet me aboard the Yard." Gibbs looked up when Fornell set his food inside the truck. He opened his mouth and Fornell just waved him off.

"Go save your lamb. Call me if you need some help."

-NCIS-

It was usually an eighteen minute drive from Mulligan's back to the Yard. Gibbs made it in seven and Vance was just leaving when Gibbs ran into the bullpen. "Problem?"

"Gotta find McGee."

The Director shook his head. "He's in Dubai with his girlfriend. Though, if things are on schedule, she's now his fiancee and they're celebrating. Let him have this, he deserves it."

Gibbs shook his head. "No, what he didn't deserve was finding her with her new boyfriend."

"Crap."

"Yeah, and nobody's seen him since. We need to find him." Gibbs was already at his desk, booting up his computer, so Vance dropped his briefcase behind McGee's desk and took off his jacket.

"DiNozzo on his way in?"

"With his go bag."

Vance didn't even bother to argue.

-NCIS-

The Director was sitting at McGee's desk when Tony came in and dropped his go bag behind his own desk. "Any luck?"

Vance shook his head. "No hits on his credit cards and he's not on any flight out of Dubai."

"Yeah, Delilah already checked all of that."

Vance paused, obviously thinking. "Of course."

"What?"

Tony had already figured out the answer to Gibbs' question on his way over. "He knew she'd be looking. So, how does a guy stay under the radar and still get out of Dubai?"

Gibbs knew exactly how he'd do it. "Military flight?"

Vance reminded them of protocol. "They're supposed to record all personnel on those flights."

The three of them exchanged looks and stood. Vance led them to MTAC and looked at his lead tech. "Get me the flight coordinator at Abu Dhabi." While they were waiting for him to put the call through, Vance watched Gibbs and DiNozzo. Much like when DiNozzo's heart had been crushed by Ziva, he realized that he wasn't going to have his top team as full strength for a few days.

"Coming online now, Sir."

Vance turned to face the screen. "Colonel Williams, I hope we didn't pull you away from anything critical."

"Just the usual chaos, Director Vance. How can we help NCIS today?"

"One of my agents, Timothy McGee, went to Dubai to surprise his girlfriend, but it turns out the surprise was on him."

"Damn."

"Yes." Vance nodded. McGee wasn't the first to get his heart broken and he wouldn't be the last. Every commander had seen it happen before, and the ones worth their salt kept an eye out until the worst was over. "We know he didn't leave on a commercial flight and he's not officially listed on a military flight."

The Colonel looked directly at Gibbs, whether he knew the senior agent personally or just recognized a concerned commanding officer, Vance didn't know. "I've had a half dozen flights in the last twenty-four hours that could have taken passengers, but I didn't put him on any of them. I know how it is, Gunny, I would have if he'd asked me, but I haven't seen him."

Gibbs had been watching a grunt standing off to the side, becoming more nervous, looking like he was trying to work up enough nerve to say something. "No, but I think he has."

Colonel Williams turned and pointed at the private in question. "Talk. You're not in trouble, we just want him found."

"When my brother's ex took off with the kids, NCIS found them and brought them home. I just wanted to return the favor. We had a civilian contractor too drunk to make his flight, so I gave Agent McGee his seat. He's flying from here to Ramstein, then a buddy is going to get him on one of the troop transports that's flying back stateside."

"Do you know which transport?"

"No, my buddy was still figuring it out when I talked to him."

"Then we need to talk to your buddy."

-NCIS-

Less than an hour later, they had tracked down the flight McGee was coming in on, a military transport that would be arriving at Pax River at 0300. Gibbs and Tony silently looked at each other. No words were needed; Tony would pick him up and take care of him.

They had a few hours before DiNozzo had to leave and Gibbs considered his options. Ideally, Tony would go home and get some sleep before driving there, but one look at the man told Gibbs that he was too wound up to sleep. Plan B is was, then.

"Go finish the paperwork on your desk. Then you can have tomorrow off."

Tony nodded and left MTAC without another word while Vance shook his head. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were a pushover when it comes to your kids."

A tilt of the head was as close as Gibbs was to acknowledging that fact, true as it might be. With nothing left to do, Gibbs headed back to the bullpen.

-NCIS-

Restless, Tony flipped through the pages of the file, reviewing what he'd written earlier. There were a few small changes to make, but they weren't enough to keep his mind occupied. He had one other obligation, even if his heart wasn't in it. It was only the fact that it would save Tim from having to make the phone call that let him pick up the phone and dial Dubai.

He didn't wait for her to say anything. "We found him."

 _Is he all right? I need to talk to him, to explain and apologize._

"No." Tony bit his lip to stop from shouting at her. "I don't think so. You're not so good at juggling your men."

 _Ouch, but I guess I deserve that._

It was tempting, so very tempting, but Tony kept his cool. "Yeah, but don't worry, I'll take care of him."

 _But..._

"No. You've hurt him enough. Don't call. Don't write. Just leave him alone." Tony looked up as Gibbs walked back into the bullpen. He was worried for a moment that he'd overstepped his bounds, but Gibbs nodded his approval so Tony finished. "If and when Tim ever wants to talk to you, he'll call. Goodbye, Delilah."

Gibbs sat on the corner of Tony's desk and picked up the report he'd been fussing with. Apparently satisfied with the changes, he closed it and tucked it under his arm. "Take him back to his place. Send me a text if the two of you need anything. Otherwise, I'll be there later in the morning with food."

"Boss..."

"Just an empty text, I'll know what it means."

-NCIS-

Gibbs waited until Tony left for Pax River before going home. He wouldn't sleep tonight, that was a given, so he went straight to his basement. Bourbon was tempting, but he wanted a clear head because even more tempting was what he wanted to say to the woman that had broken his youngest boy's heart.

He found himself standing in front of his workbench, the partially constructed wedding keepsake box mocking him. It was still in the early stages of construction, it could be made into something else, but Gibbs would always know what it represented. Carefully and systematically, he picked up a sledge hammer and smashed it into tiny pieces before sweeping it all up and carrying it upstairs, along with the plans and the sketches. It all went into the fireplace before Gibbs threw a match in.

The paper plans caught first, smoking and curling before they burst into flames that spread through the wood. Gibbs sat and stared until there was nothing left but ashes and charred bits. Only then did he allow himself a shot of bourbon, from the flask Shannon had given him a lifetime ago. "First Wendy then Ziva walked away from Tony. Tim's lost Sam, and now this." Gibbs stared at the engraved message of love from his own lost one. "I don't want them to follow my path, Shannon."

The engraved flask gave no answers and Shannon's voice was silent even though he felt her sadness. Gibbs stood and stirred the ashes, making sure the fire was out before he laid down on the sofa. Sleep wouldn't come, but he'd rest as well as he could to be prepared for the following day.

-NCIS-

Tony found himself being waved through the base gate with the briefest look at his ID as he heard he was expected. Security at the hanger also knew he was coming and let him through and Tony made a mental note to thank Vance for pulling strings. The plane was less than an hour out, but the hanger was filled with dependents waiting to greet a returning attachment that was on the same plane.

Of all the flights for McGee to get stuck on, it'd have to be this one. He'd be watching probably over a hundred loving reunions. While he secretly loved watching the joy when Marines and Sailors returned stateside, today was not the day. He was still trying to figure out the best way to get McGee off the plane and past the families when the C-130 touched down and rolled to a stop outside the hanger.

In precise formation, the Marines marched off the plane, coming to stand just inside the hanger where they would wait for the ceremony that would release them to their families. When most of them had entered the hanger, Tony slipped out onto the tarmac. The last of the Marines were marching out of the plane, but he could see a small group waiting inside. As he watched, they surrounded McGee, walking down the ramp with him in the center, completely blocked from the activity inside the hanger.

Tony met them at the bottom of the ramp, mouthing a silent thank you to the highest ranking Marine there. He wasn't exactly sure how they knew, if it was from Vance's calls or as a favor to Gibbs, but he was just grateful that his friend had had support during the long trip home. McGee was staring at the ground as he walked, unaware of his surroundings until he bumped into Tony.

"I'm so sorry, Buddy." Tony transferred Tim's bag to his own shoulder and wrapped his arms around him in a gentle hug. "Let's go home."

Tim didn't say a word as Tony walked him out to the agency sedan he'd borrowed for the drive, but Tony was starting to get worried when he was silent for the entire drive home. Only a few miles from the house, Tony broke the silence as he squeezed Tim's forearm. "It's going to be okay. Maybe not right away, but eventually it will be."

Tony wasn't totally convinced, but Tim's awareness seemed to increase. He didn't say anything to Tony, but his eyes shifted slightly away from the center of the windshield and by the time they pulled into the driveway, he got out of the car without prompting. Under the circumstances, Tony considered that a win.

Unlocking the door, Tony stepped aside and let Tim go in first. "When was the last time you ate anything?"

"On the plane." Tim was flipping through the stack of mail Mrs. Olson had dutifully left on the small table in the entry hall. Having been on enough military flights, Tony was suspicious.

"Going or coming?" The shrug he got in return gave him his answer. "Have you slept since, well, you know?"

Tim shook his head, but he was staring at the envelope in his hand. He seemed to crumple in on himself and leaned against the wall, sliding down onto the floor. With a sense of deja vu, Tony joined him on the floor and took the envelope from him. The return address was a construction company, the same one that had done the master bathroom, but Tony didn't know the significance. Resting a hand on Tim's shoulder, he waited.

"It's a bid to install an elevator. I... I wanted Delilah to be able to get to every floor in the house." Tim took the envelope back and ripped it open, pulling the letter out and unfolding it. The total made Tony inhale sharply. "Guess I should be glad I found out the truth before I spent all this money, right?"

Tony needed to make Tim feel better. "Hey, look at it this way – you saved all that money so do something for yourself with it. Something fun. Finish making this house exactly the way you want it. After all, it's yours."

"Time to do that man-cave in the basement?"

"Now you're talking." Tony wrapped his arm around Tim's shoulders. McGee wasn't the talker that Tony was, but he sensed the other man needed to get it out.

"I thought I was finally going to have it all, you know? The wife I adored, that loved me more than anything. A couple of kids to dote on. I guess my dad was right about me."

Tony didn't know exactly what his father had said, but he knew it couldn't have been good. "You will, someday. I know it."

Exhaustion was winning out over grief and Tim was leaning heavier against him. "No, I'm not like you. I'm not easy to love."

Tim was down for the count and Tony knew from experience that nothing short of a bomb blast would wake him right now so he shifted slightly, turning Tim towards him, lifting his legs to drape them over Tony's lap and kissed his forehead. "You're wrong, Tim. You're the easiest person in the world to love."

-NCIS-

It was barely daylight when Gibbs walked through the gate with a bag of groceries. Only a few lights were on in the house, but Gibbs knew the layout almost as well as his own. Unlocking the back door, he went through the family room and set the groceries in the kitchen. First thing, he checked the master bedroom, but it was empty, the bed untouched. He was expecting to find them both drunk, the house smashed up, but everything looked intact.

Working his way toward the front of the house, eventually he found them on the floor of the entry hall, both asleep. Tim was draped over Tony, snuggled against him while Tony's arm was around him.

Gibbs sat on the bottom step of the staircase, fondly watching his boys. Usually they were both too aware of what other people thought to either give or receive this level of comfort. As much as he hated what life had thrown at them lately, Gibbs was glad to see their friendship grow and the bond between them deepen.

Eventually Tony woke up. He seemed a little startled to find Gibbs watching them, but he didn't jerk away as he gave Gibbs a sleepy smile.

"Hey, Boss."

Tony's voice was low and Gibbs answered in the same manner. "Hey. How much did he have to drink last night?"

"None." Tony's voice had a sad tint to it as he tucked Tim's head under his chin. "They really did a number on him."

Gibbs wondered about the 'them', but this wasn't the time to ask. "Your legs asleep?"

"Nah, he's more on the floor than on me."

Moving closer, Gibbs could see that Tim's butt was on the floor and his bent legs were just barely brushing Tony's legs. "Okay, let's get him put to bed."

Tony didn't look all that excited to be moving from their spot, but eventually he nodded. Gibbs did most of the lifting, murmuring softly as he coaxed Tim's arms up around his neck. Once he had Tim holding onto him, he braced himself, then lifted. He hadn't done this in years, not since the nights Kelly would fall asleep on the floor watching her favorite shows, but the body never forgets. As soon as he could get free, Tony scrambled up to help and the two of them walked Tim to the bedroom. Tim never really woke up and they sat him on the edge of the bed. Gibbs marveled at the total trust as they stripped him down to his boxers and rolled him under the covers. It was almost automatic when his hand brushed across Tim's head as he pulled the blankets up over him.

"He hasn't eaten since he was on the flight to Dubai."

As much as Gibbs hated to disturb him, he knew that McGee needed food as much as he needed the sleep. "We'll wait about an hour, then fix some breakfast."

They crept out of the room and Tony went straight back to the entry instead of flopping down on his favorite spot in the family room. Curious, Gibbs followed him. Tony picked up a piece of paper from the floor and stared at it.

"Tony?"

"You want to know how much it costs to retrofit a seventy-five year old house for an elevator?" Tony handed Gibbs the estimate. "He was willing to do it for her. He wanted every inch of his home, every part of his life accessible to her. As scared of commitment as McGee is, he was willing to make this jump for her and she threw it away."

Gibbs knew more about McGee's history with commitment than anyone else in his life, but it had been told in confidence. "I know, Tony, but let's focus on what he needs right now."

"We decided last night to spend that money on a real kick-ass man cave in the basement, gonna build it ourselves. You'll... you'll help, right?"

"Sounds like a good project for the three of us." A plan started to form. "You and he get everything down there measured out this week, then we'll start bouncing ideas around." Knowing McGee, by the time he was done, he'd have a layout more detailed than the original blueprints and with any luck it would keep him too busy to brood. That would be their overall goal, to keep McGee from pulling inward with his hurt and anger. Gibbs also mentally penciled in an afternoon or two at the gym while McGee was still on vacation.

-NCIS-

The groceries were still sitting on the counter, so Gibbs started to put the food away while Tony sat at the breakfast bar and rolled an orange in circles on the counter. Something about that made Tony smile slightly, but he didn't say anything. Gibbs knew that eventually Tony would start talking, so he stayed quiet.

"I was a mess when I came home from Israel. I mean, I hid it pretty well, but McGee always knew. He let me stay here with him, let me sulk when I needed it, gave me a gentle nudge when I needed that. He got me through my mess, I'll get him through his."

"I know you will." That was the one thing Gibbs had absolutely no doubt about.

Gibbs started frying bacon and eggs with the hope that the smell would wake McGee. It worked and Tim stumbled out of his bedroom just as Tony was buttering the toast.

"Hey, look who's up and just in time for breakfast."

"Not really hungry, Tony."

"You're not hungry because your body's forgotten the signals." The two men looked at each other and Tim sighed. There was some significance to the conversation, but Gibbs didn't know what it was. Whatever it was, it worked and Tim sat down next to Tony, who immediately handed him a glass of orange juice. "Besides, how many days do you have Leroy Jethro Gibbs scrambling your eggs?"

Gibbs set two plates down in front of the two younger men. "They're fried, Tony, not scrambled." Much to his surprise, Tony and Tim looked at each other, then burst out laughing. There was a slight tinge of hysteria to McGee's laughter, but it was a start. "Boys, want to share the joke?"

Tony waved his hand in front of his face. "A stake-out, long time ago. McGee could not get my breakfast order straight. Every morning, I'd ask for scrambled and he'd bring me over easy."

Gibbs remembered, but he'd never heard the full story. "Trying to annoy the senior agent?"

McGee looked over at Tony. "You remember the waitress that worked in the restaurant?"

"Blonde, with the big," Tony held his cupped hands out about a foot from his chest.

"That's her. Well, when she'd yell an order for 'over easy' back to the kitchen, she'd shake her boobs."

DiNozzo was almost speechless. Gibbs smirked and eventually Tony's arms started waving again. "Wait a minute, just wait a minute. I got the eggs I hated and you got the floor show? Every morning?"

"Every morning."

"She didn't shake them for scrambled? I mean, she should have, right? Shaken, scrambled." Tony laughed and shook his head. "Ah, Probie-Wan, my lessons succeeded much earlier than I'd have ever hoped."

Gibbs enjoyed the banter between the two of them. One thing that had happened when Ziva left them was the sharpness had dulled from the sometimes biting conversations. "It's always the quiet ones."

"Yep, but our quiet one will soon be the proud owner of the best man-cave this side of town." Tony jumped up and dug around a drawer for some scrap paper. Paper found, he sat down and started a very rough, very out of proportion sketch of the basement. "Okay, so what are we putting down there? Theater room for sure, right?"

"Gotta have someplace to watch movies during the winter." Gibbs had never admitted how much he enjoyed the movie nights in McGee's back yard, but he also never missed one either. "Table for cards might be nice."

"We need to think big, Boss, real big. Mechanical bull, that would work."

Tim shook his head. "Eight foot ceilings. Vance will not be happy if we give ourselves concussions every weekend we're not on call. How about a gaming corner with four separate screens."

That made Tony smile. "Oh, that would work. Nice big comfy chairs, too. Gotta have those."

-NCIS-

Bishop squeaked into the squad room with only a few seconds to spare, only to find it empty. She set her bag down under her desk in its usual spot and looked around. McGee was in Dubai, so she expected to see his desk empty and his computer off, but Gibbs' and Tony's computers were still shut down too. Biting her lip, she tried to remember if anything had been said when they left yesterday. Vance was walking through, so she turned to face him.

"Was I supposed to meet Gibbs and Tony somewhere?"

Vance had an odd expression on his face. "No. DiNozzo is taking a personal day and Gibbs is coming in late."

"Gibbs, late? I'm not sure he knows what that means." Instead of answering her, Vance held up a finger and sent a quick text.

-NCIS-

The spark hadn't lasted very long and McGee was quiet once again. Tony carefully bumped his shoulder against Tim's. "Hey, what's going on in that computer brain of yours?"

"Thinking I should just cancel the rest of my vacation. Just go in and get it over with."

Gibbs had been looking at his phone and now leaned over and laid a hand on McGee's arm. "Would it be easier if someone else told Bishop, Abby, Palmer and Ducky?"

There was a flash of relief that crossed McGee's face, but then he shook his head. "It's my mess, I need to be the one to clean it up."

"Hey." Gibbs' tone was sharp, but his words were surprisingly gentle. "It's her mess, not yours. You deal with it anyway that makes you comfortable. Now, do you want to be the one to tell them?"

"Not really."

Gibbs still had his phone in his hand. "Then we'll take care of it."

-NCIS-

"What's going on?" With McGee half way around the world and no Gibbs this morning, Abby was in a grumpy mood.

Worried, Ellie tried to put on her happy face. "I don't know, but I'm sure we're going to find out soon enough."

"Vance must have said something to you. Where are Gibbs and Tony?"

"All Director Vance said was that Tony was taking a personal day and Gibbs would be in late."

"Late?" Abby was getting agitated. "Gibbs is never late. Gibbs is like Mr. Punctuality. He's who they go to when Big Ben needs to be set."

"Abby..."

"He's the one they go to when it's time to set the nuclear clock."

"Abby..."

"No. I had a bad dream last night. Something is wrong, I know it." She spun around when the lab doors opened, hoping for Gibbs, but it was Director Vance, Palmer and Ducky in tow.

"Oh, my God, oh, my God, is somebody dead?"

Ellie reached over and took Abby's hand, earning an approving nod from Vance as he started talking.

"As you know, Agent McGee went to Dubai and..."

"He's been kidnapped, hasn't he? We have to find him." Abby pulled away from Ellie and ran to her computer.

"We already have and he wasn't kidnapped, though he might have preferred it." Four shocked faces stared at him and Vance pressed on, telling them the entire story. By the time he was done, Abby was shaking.

"After all he's done for her, how could she do that? After standing by her through all of it? I mean, does she know how lucky she was, how many men would have bailed after the explosion? I don't care if she's paralyzed or not; I'm gonna go to Dubai and kick her butt."

Ducky had been working toward the excitable woman and finally grasped her hands, stopping the tirade. "Would Timothy want that, my dear?"

"Well, no." Ducky was being practical and logical and Abby didn't want logic. She wanted to hurt the person that hurt her friend. Abby stared at their joined hands as she slowly shook her head.

"Then it is a wonderful fantasy, but it goes no further than that. We do not want to be the ones that cause him any more pain."

-NCIS-

Ducky had stayed in the lab to comfort Abby and make sure she didn't do anything rash. Using the momentary privacy, Jimmy made a call.

 _Hey, babe, what's up?_

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm the luckiest man alive."

 _Aww, that's so sweet, but what brought this on in the middle of the morning?_

"Tim wasn't so lucky and I feel so bad for him... anyway, I just wanted to tell you how much I love you."

 _I love you, too, Sweetheart._

* * *

a/n - last chapter of the night. Time to get dinner on the table. Butternut Squash and Hazelnut Lasagna with a spinach salad. Sound good? See you tomorrow with more chapters.


	10. Chapter 10

**a/n - A light moment for all our boys.**

* * *

"Pool table."

"What?" McGee looked up from carefully marking the electrical outlets on the basement plans.

Tony sat across from him and tapped the paper. "Man cave needs a pool table."

"I don't play pool, Tony."

That made Tony blink. They'd never gone out to play pool, granted, but everybody played – or so he thought. "You don't play as in you don't like pool, or..." Waiting for an answer, Tony picked up a ruler only to have McGee take it away from him.

"Just never played."

"Never?"

"Never."

Still staring at him, Tony pulled out his phone. "Hey, Boss, McGee's never played pool."

-NCIS-

"How'd I get roped into this?" Drinking beer and shooting pool with his old friend wasn't exactly a hardship, but Fornell had a reputation to keep up, after all.

Judging from Gibbs' expression he wasn't fooling any of them. "I offered to buy you a beer and you beat us all here."

There was enough shades of truth to that to make Fornell grin into his beer – the good stuff since Jethro was buying. They'd given McGee a run down of the rules and Gibbs had played one round against DiNozzo to let him watch an actual game. Now DiNozzo and McGee were playing a round and he and Gibbs would play when the next table opened up.

DiNozzo was taking it easy on the kid, he'd only sunk two balls to McGee's one. McGee was up again and studying the table intently. Fornell leaned close enough to Gibbs to not be overheard. "He didn't bring that measuring laser of his, did he?"

"Shh, don't give him any ideas."

McGee's back was to them, but DiNozzo straightened up, his eyes widening just as McGee took his shot. The cue ball definitely had some spin to it this time as it sailed across the felt, hit the bumper on the far side and put two balls in play, one solid colored, which he was playing, and one striped. The first ball neatly rolled into the side pocket while the striped ball hit the bumper on the short side and caught another solid ball. The solid ball rolled slowly toward the corner pocket with just enough energy to drop.

Gibbs and DiNozzo were just staring in shock, but Fornell jumped to his feet, almost losing his beer in the process. "I thought you didn't know how to play."

"I didn't know the rules, but it's all vectors and angles." McGee sunk another three balls before DiNozzo had another shot. He sunk one, but his next attempt left the ball only an inch from the hole. McGee took control of the board again and before they could blink, dropped the last of his seven balls. Only the black 8-ball remained. One more carefully lined up hit with the cue stick and it was all over.

Gibbs and DiNozzo had moved on from staring to head shaking, so Fornell walked up to McGee and wrapped his arm around the younger man's shoulders. "You're a natural, kid, and Uncle Toby is going to personally teach you the finer points of this fine sport."

-NCIS-

They were back at work and McGee had been quiet for the last few days. Tony totally understood that and didn't argue when he wanted to go straight home after work every night. Tonight, however, he'd made a stop. Tony hadn't gone in with him, but staring at the four gallons of black paint now sitting in the entryway, he wish he had. Not knowing what else to do, he quickly pulled out his phone and placed a call while McGee was changing his clothes.

"Boss? We need help over here. Need to do an intervention. McGee's more depressed than I thought. He's going to paint all of the walls here black."

-NCIS-

"Meatloaf for both of you?"

"Sounds good to me. Jethro?" Fornell looked over as Gibbs dug his phone out of his pocket.

"Yeah, Gibbs."

Tobias couldn't quite hear the words, but it did sound like DiNozzo on the other end. Gibbs listened for a moment before holding up four fingers for Elaine. "Tony, what's wrong?

"To go?"

Gibbs nodded and Fornell sighed. So much for a quiet relaxing dinner. The call ended and Fornell glared at him as he put the phone back in his pocket. "Well?"

"Boys need our help."

"Of course they do." Honestly, Jethro was much more fun when he was a bastard and didn't get involved in anyone else's life. "What now?"

"We're helping with an intervention."

Okay, that did sound important, or at least a little more interesting. "McGee hitting the sauce pretty hard since he got dumped?"

"Nope." Gibbs had his wallet out and was paying for the food without their usual debate about whose turn it was. This could be bad.

"He's not... he's not trying to hurt himself, is he?"

Gibbs looked surprised at the question, but waited to answer until Elaine brought back the food and they were walking back out to their cars. "Nah, he bought a bunch of black paint."

"Paint? We're rushing over there because of paint?"

He didn't get an answer and Fornell cursed to himself as he jumped into his own car to follow Gibbs, who picked up the discussion as they parked in front of McGee's house. "You didn't have to come, Tobias."

"You've got the damned food." Judging from the smirk, that had been the plan all along. Finding DiNozzo just as frustrated when they walked in made him feel a little bit better.

"Oh, Boss, thank goodness you're here. Tell him he's making a huge mistake."

"It's paint, DiNozzo. Worse case scenario, we have to put five coats of primer over it to cover." Gibbs set the bags down before he walked over and laid his hands on McGee's shoulders. "Abby help you pick it out?"

"No, it's not Abby-black, it's McGee-black. Besides, the paint for the living room is not black, it's dark charcoal."

Fornell looked down at the dots of paint on the top of each can. Sure enough, some were slightly lighter. Certainly nowhere near the Navajo White of his house, but slightly lighter than coal black, maybe, if he squinted. He turned his attention back to the conversation between Gibbs and McGee.

"If the charcoal is for the living room, what's the black for?"

"The dining room."

"The dining room?"

Fornell had the same question and he turned to look in the still empty room. It was on the front corner of the house, with large windows on two walls, so it was a bright room, but still...

McGee was still trying to explain. "Yeah. Think little black dress – why do women wear them?"

"Make them look skinnier."

Three heads swiveled around and Fornell realized that had come out of his mouth. "Well, umm, I mean..."

DiNozzo was laughing. "Oh, I am so telling Diane you said that."

"Now wait a minute, just wait a darn minute – Jethro!"

Some friend, he was laughing, too. "Don't look at me, Tobias, I'm not getting you out of this one."

"Besides that."

McGee was probably just throwing him a lifeline, but he grabbed on with both hands. "Well, I've been told that it always makes their jewelry look good, but I think it's cheaper to buy more dresses than more jewelry."

The kid was grinning now, so maybe he was onto something, but he wasn't quite sure what. Whatever it was, he was pulling something up on his phone. He handed it to DiNozzo first.

"Wow, really? That... wow."

After that oh so helpful comment, DiNozzo handed McGee's phone to Gibbs and walked into the dining room, carefully looking around. Gibbs seemed to approve of what he was looking at, so Fornell leaned closer to look but Gibbs followed DiNozzo into the dining room. McGee followed him and DiNozzo held his hands up.

"Okay, I admit it, I was wrong. This could work – if – you're able to find a chandelier like..."

"Already ordered, be here next week. Frosted glass table and a set of white leather chairs should arrive a day or two later."

"Room like this, you'd better master the making of the perfect martini, McSuave."

"I'll see what I can manage."

Fornell finally got to see the picture everyone was looking at. DiNozzo was right (and how he hated to admit that), it was elegant and sophisticated. Black walls, but balanced with lots of detailed molding in bright white. Ornate mirrors with wide silver frames surrounded by more white picture frame molding on the walls, and a bright green Murano glass chandelier that acted as the jewelry in the room. Add in the beveled glass windows on two walls and the matching beveled glass in the built-in china cabinets, it would look even better than the designer room he'd based it on. "Okay, kid, you got a picture of what you're doing in the living room?"

Gibbs handed the phone back to its owner. "McGee always has a plan."

"You just forgot that for a minute, Boss?"

The eyes narrowed, but much to Fornell's surprise, there was no headslap. The inspiration picture for the living room was passed around and again Fornell had to admit it was going to look good. Dark charcoal this time for the walls. White molding again, but this time they were slightly more modern in the layout. Not contemporary, but less fussy than what would be in the dining room. Lots of black and white photos, framed with extra wide white mats, meant that actually only some of the walls showed and kept the over-all look from getting heavy.

"You going to do the fireplace like that?"

At Fornell's question, Gibbs and DiNozzo's head turned toward the corner fireplace. At some point the brick had been covered floor to ceiling with black slate, the mantle removed. It was attractive, but a bit too contemporary for the grand old house

Gibbs took the phone to study the picture a little more closely. "I bet we could find one of those old ornate wood fireplace surrounds, mount it right on top of the slate. After all, weren't they originally mounted over marble?"

"I found the original one down in the basement. It's damaged, but since it's going to be painted white, it shouldn't be too hard to repair."

Gibbs and DiNozzo were ready to follow McGee down into the basement, but Fornell had other ideas. "Hey, dinner's getting cold. Let's eat first."

-NCIS-

The four of them fit comfortably at the round table in the nook. DiNozzo across from McGee and Fornell across from Gibbs. That put McGee on Gibbs right side, but he wasn't handing out head slaps.

"What made you decide now was the time to get started?"

For a moment, Fornell thought McGee wasn't going to answer, but eventually he shrugged. "Remember when I said I wasn't going to let Delilah do any of the decorating?"

Of course Fornell hadn't been there for that conversation, but he found himself nodding along with Gibbs. "Yeah."

"She really liked that farmhouse, liked all those shades of beige."

DiNozzo switched his food box with McGee's. "You haven't been a beige kind of guy in years, Probie."

Fornell leaned closer to see what the difference was between the dinners. All he could see was that the box McGee was now eating from had no red peppers in the sauteed veggies. He looked over at Gibbs, who didn't bat an eye at the exchange but understood what McGee was saying. "She got you questioning your choices."

"Yeah."

"You back on track, now?"

"I am."

-NCIS-

"McGee?" Gibbs called out as he came in the back door. The muffled 'upstairs' gave him a location, but he took a few minutes to look around downstairs. They'd finished the last of the work in the living and dining rooms a few days earlier and this was the first time he'd been able to look about by himself.

What surprised him was how much he liked the finished rooms. He'd never been one for formal and overly fancy, but there was a sophistication here that seemed to suit the younger man. McGee had been studying and last night he'd fixed some pretty nice martinis for the three of them.

Inspection finished, Gibbs went upstairs. The public and private areas of the main level were now finished, so Gibbs wasn't sure what the next project was. The next likely room to do would be the upstairs bathroom now that DiNozzo wasn't currently camped out in the guest room.

The bathroom was definitely dated, with the pink and green tile and pink fixtures, but the layout was nice. Gibbs had always been impressed with the fact that the bath was actually divided into two smaller rooms, allowing one person to be showering or using the head while another one – or two – were using the sinks. As he understood it, that had been a lifesaver when Harv and Betty had three teenagers living at home. "So, is the next project picked out?"

"Yep, time to do the bathroom." Tim was staring at the door frame the separated the two halves of the bathroom and Gibbs started thinking about ways to talk him out of a full renovation.

"You know, the layout is actually pretty nice in here." Gibbs waited, hoping that McGee would take the hint.

"It is, except for this door." Just as Gibbs was about to make his argument for keeping the separation, Tim explained what he wanted. "The swing of the door takes up a lot of floor space. Could a pocket door go in here instead?"

That made Gibbs blink. He'd never thought about it before, but that made sense as the second door just barely cleared the toilet in the inner room. "It should, that's a good idea. You got it all measured out? Sorry, stupid question."

Tim just gave him a look and Gibbs was still smirking when they opened the wall that night to make sure.


	11. Chapter 11

"What do we know about the inside of the building, Boss?"

"Not much unless McGee can find a blue print of the damned thing."

Even as he was running his search, McGee had questions. "I thought you helped design the security for this conference, Boss."

He had, starting about the time Tony returned from Israel without Ziva, but things had changed since then. "For the main buildings, yeah. They've decided to move some of the smaller events across town." Gibbs knew that his team could sense his frustration. The international handlers of the various speakers had spent weeks pouring over the details he'd put together, then assigned his team to one of the lesser known speakers and stuck him in this little isolated venue.

McGee was muttering and shaking his head. "Kind of a rundown neighborhood, lots of warehouses around it. Usually it's used for alternative rock concerts. It's too big of a building for just the four of us to cover, who else is going to be there? FBI? Homeland?"

"FBI and private security hired by the Yemen embassy." Gibbs didn't like that either, but he had no proof other than his gut. "McGee, I want you to get surveillance set up so you can watch every angle from the van. You and DiNozzo set up whatever cameras you need – and stay under the radar."

McGee was in the process of standing and he froze at those words. "You're not telling the embassy or the FBI?"

"Something's off about this." Gibbs looked at his three agents. "We watch our backs on this one."

-NCIS-

"Man, I haven't done this in years." Tony adjusted the heavy utility belt as Tim made the final additions to the utility truck they'd be using this afternoon. "So, what do you think?" Arms out he turned in a circle.

"You look like a refugee from the Village People."

Tony chuckled. "You know, Kate told me something like that, too. Okay, let's get going."

While Tony was going up and down various telephone poles, setting up cameras and pretending to repair the phone lines, Tim was scrunched down on the floorboard of the truck with his laptop. It was unseasonably warm so Tony was working up a sweat, but enjoying the slight breeze up on the poles. He spoke into his mike as he set up the fifth camera.

"How ya' doing, McGee?"

 _Next time you come back to the truck, roll the windows down a bit more, will you? I'm melting down here._

"Sorry, no can do. Union rules specifically state that all vehicles must be securely locked up when the lineman is away from the vehicle. Okay, this camera's set."

 _Bringing it up on-line now. Okay, angle it a little bit more toward the northwest corner of the building._

"Got it. Does it need to tilt down any further."

 _No, that part's fine. There, right there. Okay, lock it into place._

Once that was done, Tony fiddled with the cables for a few minutes in case anyone was watching, then he climbed down. There was a convenience store on the opposite corner and he went in there to buy a bottle of cold water. He made a show out of drinking a few gulps as he walked back to the truck, then appeared to set it down in the drink holder as he closed the door. In actuality, he handed it to McGee, who gratefully downed most of it.

"Thanks, Tony."

Tim was sweatier than he'd been expecting. "Got three more to go. You going to make it or should we take a break?"

"No, I'm okay. Let's just get these done."

It took almost another hour to get the last three cameras mounted and set, but once that was done, Tony rolled the windows down and quickly drove away. Once he had several miles between them and the surveillance site, he pulled over and helped McGee unfold himself and get up onto the seat. After taking a good look at his partner, who was now clammy, he found another convenience store but this time came out with a bottle of Gatorade. "I know you hate the taste, but you got way too hot sitting down there."

McGee made a face at the taste, but obediently drank it down as Tony drove. When they returned to the Yard, Tony told him to check in with Ducky.

"I'm fine, Tony."

"Humor me, or I'll just tell Gibbs that you got dangerously overheated and he'll send you down there, anyway."

"Fine."

Tony caught his arm as he turned. "Hey, there's no one I trust more to watch those cameras tomorrow night, so I want you at a hundred percent, okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

-NCIS-

"Mike check. Boss?"

"Check, one, two, three."

"Good. Bishop?"

"Testing, one, two, three."

"Good. Tony?"

Tony started bopping around and snapping his fingers. "I hear music, mighty fine music..."

"Okay, that's good." Tim was laughing and he could hear Ellie in stereo, both standing in front of him and over the wire while Gibbs rolled his eyes. Exchanging a grin with Tony, Tim turned to the private security that had been hired by the embassy. "Let's get you guys on the right frequency."

"That is not necessary, Agent McGee." Ahmed Haza, the leader of the private security team smiled and shook his head.

Gibbs got right in his face. "It wasn't a request."

"But of course." Giving another insincere smile, he nodded to the rest of his team and they switched their own equipment to the assigned channel. The two FBI agents on the detail switched over a few seconds later.

-NCIS-

The building was solid, the crowds sounded peaceful, but Gibbs' gut was churning. The two FBI agents were stationed outside the main doors in front, while DiNozzo and one of the private security agents were at the back, watching that door. There was a fire door on the North side of the building, which was where he and Bishop were stationed. The South side of the building only had a row of windows, so that was where he'd put the other two private agents. The surveillance van was tucked in at the back of the alley where McGee could watch everything and let them know what was going on.

Gibbs brought his wrist up close to his mouth. "Everybody stay alert." Next to him, Bishop looked worried and a little confused.

"What am I missing, Gibbs?"

He just shook his head. This was something that took years to hone. "Something doesn't feel right."

Another voice crackled over the wire. Male, not very familiar and no accent. One of the FBI agent, then. _Got trouble starting in the front._

"On my way." He looked at Bishop, pointing at the fire door. "Watch that."

-NCIS-

If there was anything that McGee trusted without hesitation, it was Gibbs' gut. When Gibbs started pacing in the narrow alleyway, Tim leaned forward, watching the multiple screens intently. When the FBI agent called for back-up, he immediately brought those images up on the largest monitor. Nothing seemed out of place, at least on the outside of the building.

Of course, they could be hearing something starting inside the building, but before Tim could get a confirmation, he noticed something else. The two private security agents posted on the southern side of the building were also moving, not toward the call for help, but toward the back of the building.

As he keyed the mike to correct them, the guard stationed in the back with DiNozzo turned, his gun drawn at the other man.

"Tony, look out!"

Jumping to his feet, Tim instinctively grabbed his own weapon as he frantically typed a series of commands into the console one-handed. He saw Tony spin around, then saw the two other men come around the corner as a shot was fired. Abandoning his post, Tim threw open the van door and started shooting.

-NCIS-

It was quiet here in the back and Tony might have started cracking jokes if it weren't for the tenseness he was picking up in his temporary partner. The man was young, which might account for some of his nervousness, but there was something else going on, he was sure of it.

 _Tony, look out!_

When he heard Tim's frantic voice in his ear, Tony spun around, reaching for his gun, but there was an explosion of pain in his head and he knew no more.

-NCIS-

Something was wrong, very wrong, but Bishop didn't know what it was. Gibbs went to the front of the building when the call went out, then McGee yelled for Tony to look out and he was in the back. She'd been ordered to remain where she was, but when Gibbs ran past her, she followed him and he didn't yell at her.

Before they arrived in the back, a gunshot rang out followed by several more. Gibbs threw himself against the wall and Ellie followed his lead. They quickly worked their way to the corner, Gibbs trying to raise either Tony or McGee on the radio. When he could take a quick look around the corner, Gibbs let out a string of curses like she'd never heard out of him before. Then he dove in, firing his weapon. Ellie followed him, not knowing even who she was supposed to be shooting. Then there was an explosion as the surveillance van turned into a huge fireball and their radios went dead.

-NCIS-

Tony went down at the same time that Tim fired at his attacker. Angles, vectors, trajectories, whether it was in pool, games, computer programs or real life, McGee had developed an instinct for them that few people understood. So when two more men came around the corner, guns drawn, he knew without a doubt that they were aiming for Tony.

Even before he'd jumped down from the van's bumper, Tim dropped the two newest threats. As he did that, a door on a nearby empty warehouse burst open and more men entered the fray. They weren't armed, at least no weapons were drawn, so Tim ran to his fallen partner to defend him.

He heard Gibbs and Bishop arrive, but the crowds were swarming the entire area by that point, several of them arming themselves with bricks and rocks. Something hit him in the back as he stood over Tony, dropping him to his knees.

Gibbs was yelling, his voice getting closer, but all Tim could think about was defending Tony. They were all firing into the crowd, driving them back, when a brick hit Tim in the face. It knocked him down and for the first time he saw the damage on Tony's head. Fighting down the bile, he struggled to his feet and fired two more shots before he was empty.

Apparently being shot at wasn't in the game plan for the latecomers and they started to scatter. Tim quickly dropped his empty magazine and slammed a fresh one in its place. A running figure caught his eye as he was doing that, a figure that looked familiar but wasn't coming toward the action, but toward the empty surveillance van. He ran past it and a few second later it exploded.

That scattered their attackers even more and by the time the fireball retreated, Gibbs was at his side. Just in time, too, as his knees started to buckle. The last thing he remembered was a pair of strong arms catching him before he hit the ground.

-NCIS-

He'd seen ops go sour, that was often the nature of the beast, but when this one turned bad, it was spectacular. Gibbs poked his head out for a second, trying to get a handle on what was going on. His boys were in trouble. Tony already down with what appeared to be a head injury, while Tim stood over him, protecting him from the advancing crowd.

Gibbs didn't have a clue where all these attackers had come from, but he took aim and shot one of the apparent leaders, winging him high in the shoulder. That slowed the charge, but the rocks and bricks kept flying, one of them eventually hitting McGee. Tim went down, but was already struggling to get back on his feet. Gibbs fired a few more times into the crowd, driving them further back as he and Bishop moved closer.

No additional help was coming and Gibbs yelling into his mike for the FBI agents didn't get a response. He was going to try again, then an explosion rocked the ground. That did more for scattering the crowd and he was able to get to DiNozzo and McGee. It was a good thing, too, because he'd barely touched McGee's arm when the younger man's eyes rolled up and he crumpled. It was all Gibbs could do to make sure he didn't land on DiNozzo.

The parking area was suddenly empty, save for the scattered bodies on the ground. Gibbs moved enough that he could lay McGee down next to Tony when a sound behind him caused both he and Bishop to spin around, weapons out. Two very shocked and somewhat angry looking FBI agents were standing there with a very frightened crown prince.

"Where's the car and driver?"

Gibbs took in their neat and tidy appearance. "Better question, where's the trouble you said was in the front?" Dismissing them for the moment, he dropped down onto his knees to check on Tony. He had a pulse, weak and thready, but it was there. However, when Gibbs looked at the wound on the side of his head, his blood ran cold. "Oh, Tony."

He would have yelled for an ambulance but Bishop was already on the phone with dispatch so he leaned closer to his fallen man. "Stay with us, DiNozzo, you hear me? You don't have permission for anything else."

* * *

 **a/n - there was a reason for the light moment in the last chapter. See you this evening with two more chapters.**


	12. Chapter 12

The call from dispatch came first, but by the time Vance was in the car calls were coming in from the FBI, Homeland Security, the Embassy and of course the SecNav. He'd been terse with the FBI, promised Homeland Security that his best people were already on the situation, referred the Embassy to Homeland Security, but he had to actually take the call from Secretary Porter.

"Yes, Ma'am, I'm enroute now."

"No, Ma'am, I don't know what went wrong."

"Yes, Ma'am, we'll be getting to the bottom of this. You have my word." Finally he was able to end the call.

"This is bad, isn't it, Director Vance?"

It took a moment for Vance to register that his driver was talking to him. "Yeah, Grayson, it's really bad." The car sped up slightly and Vance wondered how they were going to fix this mess without it becoming a full-fledged international incident.

Local LEO's had the entire block cordoned off which had cleared out most of the gawkers and Vance was able to see Gibbs and the lead FBI agent in a heated argument. Bishop was already photographing the scene while firefighters were spraying down the smoldering hulk that had once been the agency's best surveillance van. Wincing at the budget hit that would cause, he went straight to Bishop for some background before he interfered with Gibbs' current fight.

"Bishop, what in the hell happened and where's DiNozzo and McGee? Please tell me McGee wasn't in the van when it blew."

"Tony... umm, Agent DiNozzo was shot in the head." Vance silently swore to himself and closed his eyes as he listened to the rest. "Agent McGee was hit in the face with a brick. After the gunfight ended, he lost consciousness and they were both taken to the hospital."

Before Vance could say anything, Bishop looked around then leaned closer to speak without being overheard. "The private security people tried to take us out and Gibbs thinks the FBI agents were involved."

Well, crap. He'd take a jurisdictional squabble over that any day. "Do you think Gibbs is right?" She was green, but Gibbs had hired her for her ability to piece together the bigger picture. She seemed to think about it for a moment before she nodded.

"I think so. The FBI agents sent out a call for help when nothing was wrong and when Gibbs responded, it looks like that's when the private security people turned on Tony. We heard McGee call out a warning, then the shooting started. After everything stopped, the FBI walked out with the target and seemed surprised that we were the ones still standing."

Now the testy conversation between Gibbs and the FBI was making more sense. "Gibbs took out the attackers?"

Ellie pointed out one body on the ground. "That one, plus one that went to the hospital."

He was expecting more, after all there were four bodies on the ground. "And the rest?

"McGee, I guess."

"McGee?"

She shrugged. "They were already down when Gibbs and I came around the corner and Tony's weapon was unfired. Who else would it have been?"

Bishop had a point. "Keep documenting the scene. Another team will be here in a few minutes to help."

"Yes, Sir."

Vance still didn't know exactly what had gone down, but he knew enough that he had no doubt that it stunk. It stunk enough that letting the FBI sweep things away wasn't going to be in the cards. Walking up to the argument, Vance said as much.

"Our men were attacked, it's our scene." Vance held a hand up to stop the objection that the FBI agent was already stuttering. "You'll be copied on our findings. I'll guarantee you that Director Morrow and Homeland Security will back me up on that." He wasn't sure, but he knew that Morrow had a great deal of respect for Gibbs and trusted his instincts. "Where is the Prince?"

"On his way back to the Embassy." The agent glared at Gibbs. "But your man insisted on an escort of local yokels, said my men couldn't be trusted, convinced his Highness of that."

Vance gave him his shark grin, which wasn't very friendly. "Well, considering this place looks like a damned war zone and your men didn't as much as scuff their shoes, he might have a point. Tell you what, if the investigation totally clears them, Agent Gibbs will give them a very nice apology."

The lead FBI agent snorted, threw his hands up into the air and stormed off to where his two agents were waiting.

"Thanks, Leon."

"Don't thank me yet. Proving what you know might not be that easy." Vance looked over at the remains of the van. "Especially considering how much evidence probably burned up."

-NCIS-

"Whoa, easy, easy!"

It took a few seconds to realize that he was struggling against a doctor, then Tim fell back onto the exam table, gasping for air.

"You back with us? Slow, deep breaths through your mouth." Giving what could be considered a reassuring smile, the doctor put an oxygen mask on Tim's face. "Your nose is broken, you'll breathe better as soon as we get that stabilized."

Becoming more aware, Tim could feel the pain and pressure in his nose, his whole face is he were honest with himself. He had a more pressing concern and pulled off the mask to be better heard. "Tony? Where's Tony?"

There was some movement around him, the hands holding him down shifting until a middle aged woman was leaning over him. "Is that the other agent that was injured?"

"Yeah."

"He's in surgery, that's all we know right now."

"But..."

"He's in good hands and I'm sure he'd want you to be taking care of yourself right now. That way, you'll be ready when he needs you."

It was a good argument and Tim let his head fall back onto the exam table. "Is he going to be all right?"

She patted his arm. "He's made it this far."

-NCIS-

"Damn, that's a lot of blood, I need more suction. Come on, hurry up. I can't see a damned thing."

"There's another bone fragment."

"Got it. All right, you try to piece together as much of that skull as you can. I'm going after the blood clot."

"His rhythm's getting unstable. Do it fast."

-NCIS-

Balboa circled around as two of his men plus Bishop were working out the bullet trajectories, cornering Gibbs as the bodies were loaded up in the autopsy van. "Gibbs, go to the hospital."

"We've got an active scene."

Looking around at the FBI agents still milling about, Balboa leaned closer. "I overheard them talking. One of FBI's assistant directors is on his way to the hospital to interrogate McGee. They're going to try and pin this entire mess on him."

Over his dead body. "Like hell they are. You got this?"

"Yeah, go."

Gibbs caught Bishop's eye and gave her a nod before jogging over to the sedan. It was hard not to floor it, but he didn't want his leaving to attract any attention from the other agency. Five blocks and two corners later, though, he floored it.

-NCIS-

"You screwed up, McGee, but you've got a history of screwing up, don't you? Detective Benedict ring a bell?"

Tim glared at the newcomer in the Emergency Department. FBI, judging from the cheap, ill-fitting suit. "Who the hell are you?"

"Assistant Director Jeffrey Campbell, the man that going to end your career. It'll be an international incident when it becomes public knowledge that you gunned down three guards from the royal family."

"Those guards? They were dirty, so were the FBI agents assigned to the detail."

Campbell moved even closer, close enough that Tim could feel the spittle hitting his face as the man yelled. "Like hell they were. The only person that's dirty is the idiot that gave you a badge. Daddy have to buy it for you? Because nobody in their right mind could believe you're capable of being out in the field."

There was a flurry of activity as several people rushed back into the exam room, but the one Tim locked eyes with was not bothering to call security. "Get away from him right now." Gibbs grabbed Campbell's coat and shoved him back.

"Who the hell are you?"

Gibbs pointed at McGee. "His boss and the man that's trusted him to have my six for the last ten years."

"And he hasn't killed you yet? Are you lucky or just stupid?"

Hospital security arrived and Gibbs shoved Campbell toward them. "You're done here. Agent McGee will not be making any statement to the FBI until he's cleared by his doctor and has legal representation. You're not making him the fall guy for your people's screw ups." He looked over at the guards, recognizing the stance of a fellow Marine. "Get him out of here."

-NCIS-

Breathing heavily, Gibbs watched as AD Campbell was led away, still cursing at McGee and threatening him with legal action and the destruction of his career. He turned back to McGee just in time to see the younger man's knees buckle.

"Easy, Tim, I've got you." Gibbs held on and half helped, half lifted him back onto the narrow bed. Once he had McGee sitting, he leaned close to take a better look at his injuries. A broken nose, if the tape across the bridge of his nose and the two black eyes were any indication. There was also a gash between his eyebrows that had been carefully glued closed and a raw looking scrape that covered most of his forehead. Nothing was life threatening, though it looked painful, and Gibbs breathed a sigh of relief. Having one of his boys critically injured was bad enough, he didn't know if he could cope with two.

"Boss, how's Tony? They won't tell me anything except that he's still in surgery."

"That's because it's all we know. But look at it this way, if they're still working on him, then he's still alive."

Tim curled in on himself as his face crumpled. "They shot him, Boss. That bastard just turned on him and shot him in the head."

Gibbs had been trying so hard not to think about that. "I know." He laid his hand on Tim's bowed head for just a moment before getting them back on track. "You tried to warn Tony. What did you see?"

Nodding and taking a deep breath, McGee visibly pulled himself back together. "There was nothing going on out front when the FBI called for help."

Gibbs had already figured that part out on his own, so he just nodded and waited for McGee to continue.

"The two private security guys on the side of the building started moving the wrong way. I was going to correct them, but then the one in the back with Tony pulled his gun and was aiming directly at Tony's back."

"That's when you yelled?"

"Yeah. Tony's attention was on the building and trying to find the threat against the Prince. He turned and went for his own gun, but..."

"He was shot before he could defend himself."

"Yeah and before I could get into position to help him. He aimed at Tony a second time, but I fired first, then two more of the private security guys came around the corner."

"You believed that they were a threat to DiNozzo." Gibbs might have been coaching him a little bit, but he honestly didn't care. He might be losing one of his boys to this, he sure as hell wasn't going to lose his other.

"They had guns out, aimed at Tony. After... after Benedict I spent a lot of time studying trajectories so I would never make that mistake again."

"It was a righteous shoot, Tim. To hell with what the FBI thinks."

Tim looked up, as if he'd just remembered something. "The surveillance video should show everything that went down."

He knew that McGee had a concussion, but the apparent memory loss was worrisome. "McGee, the van was destroyed, all the equipment burned to a crisp. I'm not sure if even Abby can retrieve anything."

Instead of looking upset, Tim was shaking his head. "As soon as things went bad, I did a data dump. Everything should be sitting in a secure server aboard the Yard. In fact, it should have been recording and transmitting right up to the explosion."

Despite his worries and fears, Gibbs felt a slight smile cross his face. Usually everything was stored in the van's computers as transmitting data drained the batteries not to mention the chances of the data stream being discovered and thus, the covert surveillance. Whoever had destroyed the van was probably counting on that and didn't have a clue the footage still existed.

Time to get things rolling and the doctor that just walked back in was the first step.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Agent McGee."

Tim just nodded, but Gibbs wanted answers. "How in the hell did he get in here, anyway?"

"Same as you did, waved a badge."

Gibbs felt a little bit guilty, but they had bigger problems at the moment. He tilted his head toward McGee as he started to grill the doctor. "He going to be okay?"

The doctor glanced over at McGee, who apparently gave his silent approval, before saying anything. "Mild concussion, broken nose, the cuts and scrapes you can see. All in all, he was damned lucky."

"What about Tony, have you heard anything else? I have his medical proxy, I have the right to know what's going on."

Gibbs turned to stare at McGee. That was the first he'd heard about McGee being DiNozzo's proxy. Tim apparently saw the question and shrugged. "I'm his and he's mine. We set that up when you were in Mexico."

Interesting, then that wasn't a new development. The doctor was already moving toward the door. "Let me see what I can find out."

Passing at the door, a nurse came in just as the doctor was leaving. She was carrying a bag of disposable scrubs and handed them over to McGee before setting a small stack of towels and washcloths on the bed. "I'm sure you'll want to get out of those bloody clothes."

Tim glanced down at himself and at the look on his face, Gibbs took over. "Thanks. We'll need an evidence bag for his clothes."

"Of course." She walked over to a storage cabinet in the room and removed a folded paper bag. Gibbs recognized it as one of the bags used as part of SAE kit. That was good, as it would help preserve any evidence currently on McGee for Abby to find. "Would you like me to send in an orderly to help him?"

"No, I've got him."

Apparently reaching the end of his endurance for the moment, Tim stood placidly and let Gibbs undress him. Each item was carefully folded and placed in the bag. Plastic bags were inside the larger bag and Gibbs set those aside for the moment.

Once he had Tim stripped down to his boxers and socks, Gibbs saw why the nurse had included washcloths and towels. The blood had soaked through to his skin on his neck and chest as well as his knees. It just took a few seconds before the faucet was producing hot water and Gibbs soaked the washcloths before wringing them out. Still needing to collect the evidence to stay focused, Gibbs used a fresh towel on each bloodstain, bagging them afterwards.

The towel hadn't been soaked yet and Gibbs used it to get Tim dry before dressing him. He was just finishing when the doctor came back in. Tim straightened up at the other man's arrival, but he let Gibbs do the talking at first.

"Well?"

There was a ghost of a smile on his face. "Your friend is a very lucky man. The bullet hit at enough of an angle that it didn't penetrate through the skull." Both Gibbs and McGee took a deep breath and the doctor held up a hand. "However, it did shatter his skull and there's a large blood clot that's not going to be easy to remove. He may have survived the initial wound, but he's got a long way to go."

Tim turned even paler and Gibbs grabbed his arm before asking any questions. "Any idea how much longer the surgery will take? How long before we know anything?"

"Another two or three hours in the operating room, then they'll keep him in recovery for quite a while. Because of the possibility of swelling, his skull won't be closed up right away and I'm afraid that only medical personnel will be with him for the next twenty-four hours, probably longer."

"Oh, God." Tim was finally moving and reacting as he paced in the small room. "Are you saying that he'll have brain damage?"

The words were obviously chosen very carefully. "I'm saying that we're doing everything possible to prevent that, but right now we just don't know. Dr. Long is a top neurosurgeon, so he's in good hands."

Gibbs hated sitting around, especially when it wouldn't do any good. McGee had finally stopped again and Gibbs rested his hand on Tim's shoulder, knowing he wasn't going to like what Gibbs was about to tell him. "We're going to the Yard and make sure there's an airtight case against those bastards."

"What? No, I have to..." Tim shook his head and tried to pull away, but Gibbs held on.

"You heard the doctor. It'll be hours before we know anything, even longer before you can see him. In the meantime, Tony deserves our best to get him justice."

"Damn it." Tim hung his head, but he wasn't fighting Gibbs any more. "Damn it." He looked up at the doctor and Gibbs was struck by how young he looked at that moment. "If something happens, if anything happens?"

"We'll call. I've already checked and your number is on his chart and the entire O.R. staff knows that they're to call you if there's any changes whatsoever."

Gibbs took his elbow. "Come on. The sooner we can put the case to bed, the sooner we can be back here."

-NCIS-

Arriving back at the Yard, for a split second, Gibbs thought about driving back to the hospital. Not only was the obnoxious Assistant Director of the FBI there, but the Secretary of the Navy was there, along with a whole delegation from Homeland Security and a handful of representatives from the Embassy, including the head of the private security, Ahmed Haza, who was pointing at McGee the moment they walked into Vance's office.

"I want that man arrested. He killed three of my countrymen."

"After they gunned down one of my agents."

Vance cut off Gibbs before he could say anything else. "McGee, we need you to make a formal statement, your version of what went down tonight. Would you like legal representation before we begin?"

"I can prove exactly what happened, Sir." Tim walked over to the door, expecting the rest of them to follow. "We set up our own surveillance of the area."

Campbell tried to cut him off from the door, but McGee was moving too fast. "You mean the surveillance footage that was conveniently destroyed when the van caught on fire? Gonna have to do better than that, Agent McGee." He made the title sound like a slur and Gibbs wanted to punch him, but watching him eat crow would be even better.

Both Vance and Morrow looked to Gibbs and he gave them a slight nod. Somebody was going to take the fall for this, but it wasn't going to be either of his boys.

It was quite a crowd that arrived in MTAC. McGee went straight to the main console and quickly found his footage. He glanced over at Gibbs before he explained. "Before I left the surveillance van, I did a data dump to secure the footage. So, even though the van was destroyed, we should have most of the surveillance feed intact."

Gibbs watched the others carefully as McGee explained. Sure enough, he saw a flash of something akin to fear on Haza's face.

The main screen in MTAC was divided into the four separate primary feeds. Campbell cursed under his breath when they saw one of the FBI agents check his watch and nod before his partner made his 'panicked' call for back-up, all while sitting on the steps. They saw the two private security guards turn the opposite direction, away from the supposed problem and toward the back of the building. The other private guard drew his weapon and turned toward DiNozzo just as McGee's warning came over the speakers.

MTAC was silent except for a gasp from Secretary Porter as they watched Tony's head snap back, his legs crumpling, before his weapon fully cleared his holster. A fraction of a second later, McGee appeared outside the van, firing his first shot while standing on the bumper. Even Vance gave a low whistle at the distance and the speed of his next two shots, dropping the rest of their attackers before they could finish firing on either DiNozzo or McGee.

One of the cameras caught the doors of a nearby warehouse flying open as a ready-made riot poured out into the previously empty parking lot. The scene was chaotic, even after McGee replaced the four feeds with just the one, it was hard to see all of the action, but Gibbs saw Tim force his way through to stand over his fallen partner, protecting him, while the Gibbs on the screen tried to get through the crowd. So intent on watching what was happening on the recording, Gibbs was caught off guard when Haza showed up on the screen, lobbing something inside the open door of the surveillance van and running off camera just as the van exploded.

"Holy -" Gibbs spun around, gun in hand, but Haza had already grabbed the SecNav. He had a ceramic knife to her throat, one that the metal detectors wouldn't have picked up.


	13. Chapter 13

Gibbs was the only one of their people armed in MTAC as McGee's weapon was in an evidence bag. Technically, Gibbs' SIG should have been part of the evidence chain, but right now he was grateful that he hadn't followed protocol this time. Several of the Homeland Security people had also drawn down on Haza, while the embassy guards were aiming at each other. Campbell also had a weapon out, but he seemed torn as to whom to aim at.

"Haza, you're only making it worse for yourself." Vance was easing closer, his hands held out, as he tried to diffuse the situation.

Haza's eyes shifted to watch Vance for a moment and Gibbs mouthed 'three' to the SecNav, hoping that she would understand. A second later her lips moved as she silently whispered 'two', then instead of 'one', she threw her head back and to the side just as Gibbs fired.

There was a lot of yelling, but Gibbs ignored it as he helped Secretary Porter off of the floor and they both looked down at Haza, a bullet wound in the center of his forehead.

"Damn it, Gibbs, a little warning would have been nice." Campbell looked like he was about to hyperventilate, his hands shaking as he lowered his own, unfired weapon. The guys from Homeland didn't lower their weapons until all the embassy guards had done so.

Sarah Porter was probably frightened, but she put up a good front as she straightened her jacket. "Fine, next time we'll send you a memo. Thank you, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs gave her a nod in return. "Ma'am." He quickly checked over the scene. No one had been standing directly behind Haza, but one of the overhead monitors had been sacrificed to the cause, still sparking from the large hole just above the bottom bezel. "The van and MTAC, all in one night. IT is going to be pissed."

"You just worry about your people, Agent Gibbs. I'm sure that the Embassy will be more than willing to compensate the Agency for the damages from saving the Prince tonight."

"Haza was acting alone. You cannot blame the rest of our people for the actions of one man."

Gibbs glared at the man until he stepped back, his eyes dropping to the floor as more security came in. "This is still an active investigation, isn't that right, Director Vance?"

Vance was also glaring and had managed somehow to come up with a toothpick that was now tightly clamped in his jaw. "No stone unturned, Gibbs. Madam Secretary, if you would use your diplomatic channels to notify the King, I believe the private guards should remain in our custody until we can determine which ones were working with Haza and the three assassins killed earlier."

"You cannot do that, we have diplomatic immunity."

"That's up to the King, isn't it? Of course, he might decide to just execute the entire bunch of you."

The self-appointed spokesman for the guards dropped his head and Gibbs decided that there was more than a grain of truth in Vance's threat.

-NCIS-

Assistant Director Campbell was hoping to salvage both his and the FBI's reputation as he called his administrative assistant. "Hey, Gary, do me a favor. Our boys really screwed the pooch on this one. Find out what family that injured NCIS agent has and take care of them, okay? Fly them to DC, put them up in a nice hotel, whatever it takes so we don't come out of this looking totally like the bad guys. Yeah, it's that bad."

-NCIS-

"Are you all right, Ma'am?" Vance held out a glass of ice water as soon as Ducky finished examining Secretary Porter's neck. The knife had broken the skin, but not deep enough to draw blood. She accepted the glass, then gave Vance a pointed look.

"You have anything stronger that water, Leon?"

With a smile and a nod, Vance pulled out a bottle of bourbon from the credenza at the side of the room. Two fingers of the good stuff and a few ice cubes put her in a much better mood. "So, how often does something like this happen?"

Vance gave a tilt of his head as he put the bottle away. Unfortunately, he had to keep a clear head and a clean reputation. No dealing with the other agencies involved with alcohol on his breath. "We're a small agency, tend to get underestimated by both the bad guys and the big boys. Not so much Tom, as he was the director here years ago, but we have a long history of showing up the FBI. They'll sulk for a few days, then try to claim it was their people that saved the Crown Prince."

"Nope, not this time." She smiled at Vance over the rim of her glass. "Budget hearings start in a few days and it's time this agency got to sit at the grown-up's table."

"That would be nice for a change. Replacing that surveillance van will take most of our technology budget for the next two years. More if we upgrade to what Agent McGee has been asking for."

"McGee? He was handpicked by Gibbs, wasn't he?"

"Gibbs handpicked his entire team, they're the best."

"Tell me about them. Especially how a technology specialist could shoot three moving attackers in the head, from that distance, in the dark."

-NCIS-

"Promise me he's going to be all right, Gibbs." Overwhelmed by the shooting and the amount of evidence that prevented her from going to the hospital, Abby had thrown her arms around Gibbs the moment he'd walked into the lab.

"No promises, Abs, but Tony knows he doesn't have permission for anything less." Gibbs gave her a tight squeeze before pulling back. "McGee's checking with the hospital on the hour, every hour. The surgery is still going well and he's hanging in there. The best thing we can do right now is to put this case to bed and make it rock solid. Tony deserves our best."

The smile was forced, but she straightened her shoulders back and gave him a little salute. "Every piece of evidence examined and analyzed, no stone left unturned."

-NCIS-

Balboa was coming out of interrogation when Gibbs arrived and Gibbs got a glimpse of one of the rioters slumped in a chair as the door closed. "Talk to me, Mark."

"Hired to make trouble. Never met the buyer face to face, money wired into his account, he spread it to the rest."

"So, how was it supposed to go down?"

"All he was told was to make chaos. They were not expecting anybody with guns to be there."

"You buying his story?"

"The rioter that was killed was his kid brother. I didn't have to tell him they got played, he figured that out on his own. I sent the account information up to McGee. If anybody can trace it, it'll be your boy."

Gibbs gave a grunt. Balboa was right, of course, but that was assuming that McGee could stay upright when the adrenaline wore off. However, the bullpen was his next stop and he'd get to see for himself.

Arriving at the bullpen, McGee was buried in his work so Gibbs went first to Bishop, who was also rapidly typing, only she had a bag of chips next to her elbow instead of the cell phone that was within McGee's reach. "What have you got?"

"I'm tracking the account Balboa got from his suspect."

"I thought he gave that to McGee."

"He did, then McGee asked me to trace it."

Frowning, Gibbs looked again at McGee. "Then what's he working on?"

"Tying Haza to the two FBI agents."

"Ahh." That made sense. Haza was dead, the rioters he hired were in lock-up, but the FBI agents were suspects and not officially charged yet, Campbell had made sure of that. Before Gibbs could check on his progress, McGee jumped up, knocking his chair over, with a look of triumph on his face.

"I got you, you bastards." Looking up, McGee seemed surprised to find Gibbs standing in front of him. Instead of getting embarrassed, he grabbed the remote and started putting screen shots up on the plasma. "Thayne's mother died three years ago, but this week fifty thousand dollars, from six separate transactions, showed up in her bank account."

"Thayne have access to that account? Why wasn't it closed when she died?"

"He had full power of attorney after she had a stroke, put his name on the account as having full access. However, since the account still lists his mother as the primary, it doesn't show up under a normal search for his financials."

Gibbs nodded. "And Johnson?"

"Money is in an investment account that's attached to his son's social security number." McGee paused for a moment, waiting to make eye contact with Gibbs before continuing. "His five year old son, Boss, and that's not the only money in there. I tracked the rest to a construction company up in Jersey that's got mob connections."

"Well, shit." Gibbs was fed up dealing with Assistant Director Campbell and checked the time. Fornell was in charge of the security for the main conference, but it was done for the day, even the evening social had finished hours ago.

McGee was obviously wilting, the last twenty-four hours catching up with him. "You did good, McGee. Now help Bishop with the account from Balboa, then the two of you can go back to the hospital."

Bishop's computer made a noise and she grinned. "Got it, Gibbs. I've tracked the money back to Haza. Do you want us to track where he got the money?"

Part of Gibbs wanted to say yes. However, they were all running on fumes and Haza was a foreign national attempting to kidnap or assassinate another foreign national. Technically, the Navy connection ended when Gibbs put a bullet between Haza's eyes to save the SecNav and it became Homeland Security's mess. "No, both of you send everything up to Vance. He and I will take it from here. Bishop, you're driving."

They both watched McGee sway as he stood, so she didn't argue. "Got it."

Gibbs waited until the elevator door closed behind them before pulling out his phone and turning toward the stairs. He, Vance and Fornell had some work to do.

-NCIS-

Bishop tried to make small talk, but it was awkward and painful and McGee just gritted his teeth. Eventually she stopped trying to talk to him and just squeezed his hand when they got to the hospital. "I'm sure he's going to be all right, McGee."

He couldn't speak, not over the lump in his throat, but Tim managed to squeeze her hand in return. Once in the hospital, he forced a calm he didn't feel and went to find Tony's doctor. A nurse looked up when he stepped in front of the desk outside the ICU. "Hi, I'm checking on a patient, Anthony DiNozzo. Do you know if Dr. Long is available to give me an update? I'm Agent McGee, I have Tony's medical proxy."

A quick phone call had a very relieved Dr. Long entering the waiting room. "Agent McGee, I was just about to call you."

"What is it? Is Tony worse?"

"He's in a coma, which is to be expected after an injury like that, but he's holding his own. No, I was calling because his father showed up a little while ago."

"Senior is here?" Tim's hand went to his stomach. "How did he even find out?"

"That I don't know, but he's talking to the transplant coordinator right now. Said he wanted to prepare for the worst."

"He doesn't have that right. I'm Tony's proxy, those kinds of decisions are mine, not his."

"We've told him that. Unfortunately, he appears to be planning on challenging that. The hospital will support you, of course, but our options are somewhat limited."

Tim paced for a moment, thinking it through. "Who initiated the contact, Mr. DiNozzo or the transplant coordinator?"

"Mr. DiNozzo, of course. There are very strict rules here at the hospital as to when it is appropriate to make such an overture to the family."

There were a lot more questions that Tim wanted to ask, but the elevator dinged and he saw the person in question walking toward him. "Timothy, good, you're finally here. I have some papers you need to sign."

Tim took the papers that were shoved at him, shaking his head the moment he saw what they were. "I'm not signing these. I'm not giving up on Tony before he's even had a chance to recover."

"Timothy, he wouldn't want to linger like this."

There was something about the tone of Senior's voice that set Tim off. "Linger? He hasn't had time to linger. He hasn't even been moved out of recovery yet. We're weeks away from even beginning to think about this as a possibility, so – no – I'm not signing these."

Senior's eyes narrowed as he took back the pages. "Then I'm afraid you leave me no other choice..."

-NCIS-

Fornell had taken one look at what they had and called in the Director of the FBI, bypassing AD Campbell entirely. Now, the directors of three separate agencies, along with the Secretary of the Navy, had taken over MTAC and Fornell and Gibbs were along for the ride. To no one's surprise, once the money had been discovered, Thayne and Johnson were falling all over themselves trying to put the majority of the blame on each other and ended up implicating Assistant Director Campbell and several others for kickbacks before they were done.

Director Tucker was angry and embarrassed in equal parts but the furious Director of Homeland Security was in no mood to play any games. "I started out here at NCIS, spent years listening to the FBI disparage the men and women of this Agency. You're damned right, I'm going to let them witness the fall-out. Your agents were hired accomplices in the attempted assassination of a member of a royal family and they thought they had enough dirt on several of your deputies to save their asses. Right now, as far as I'm concerned, Agent Fornell might end up with your job before the dust settles."

"Wait, what?" Fornell stared at Tom Morrow, who had taken over Homeland Security less than a year ago. "What did I ever do to deserve that kind of punishment?"

It was the only bright spot in a few very bleak days and Gibbs took advantage of it. "I don't know, Tobias. Director Fornell kind of has a nice ring to it."

"Shut up, Gibbs."

The momentary levity helped, but the third video conference with the King was about to start so they all turned back to the damaged screen.


	14. Chapter 14

It was early morning by the time Gibbs made it back to the hospital and only Bishop was in the waiting room. She jumped up as soon as he walked closer and he found himself with an arm full of scared woman.

"Gibbs, thank God you're back."

"Is he worse?" Gibbs looked around again. If DiNozzo had taken a turn for the worse, somebody would have called him, case or not, and more people would be here waiting for news.

Ellie shook her head and started to tie her hair back, probably more for something to do with her hands than any need to look neat at the moment. "No, but McGee and Tony's father had a huge fight and Mr. DiNozzo had him kicked out of the hospital."

"Crap. Do you know what it was about?"

"Mr. DiNozzo was meeting with the hospital's transplant coordinator."

Yeah, that would do it. Gibbs squeezed her arms before moving away. "I'll take care of it." As soon as he stepped out of the waiting room, he called Ducky. "Talk to me."

 _I assume you have heard about the disagreement between Timothy and Mr. DiNozzo?_

"Can Senior do that?" Ducky sounded tired when he answered.

 _Not at the moment because Timothy is listed as his medical proxy but as his father, Senior has the right to challenge that in court. I understand he's already attempting to retain a lawyer._

Gibbs rubbed his hand over his face. Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse. "All right, if Senior and his lawyer show up, call me and then stall them, okay?"

 _Well, of course, Jethro. The hospital will support Timothy in this and they're ready to file an injunction if it's necessary. May I ask what you will be doing?_

Gibbs didn't answer before he closed his phone, mostly because he didn't have a clue. First he'd find McGee, then he'd be winging it from there.

-NCIS-

If Abby had been there, he'd have asked her to track McGee's cell phone. Short of that, he decided to start at the most logical place. Sure enough, the Prius was parked slightly crooked in the driveway. After parking out on the street, Gibbs used his key to quietly let himself in. The lights were off but he heard some noise near the back of the house.

Walking quietly, Gibbs tracked the sounds to McGee's office and carefully opened the door. He looked rough, still in the scrubs they'd made him change into at the hospital right after Tony was admitted. Gibbs kept his voice low, not wanting to spook him.

"What are you doing?"

"Senior thinks he can do whatever he wants to Tony because he's his father."

"Tim..." Gibbs edged closer to see what McGee was doing and saw a marriage certificate on the desk, mostly filled out. He tried to keep a neutral expression, but he could feel his eyebrow climbing.

"Abby already agreed. She helped me find the right paper, she has a friend... that doesn't matter right now. She signed as a witness. You're the most logical other witness. Senior would assume that you'd be there, but if you don't want to..."

Gibbs hooked a chair with his foot and dragged it over to sit across from Tim at his writing desk. He reached out and grasped Tim's arms, making him look up. Face to face, he looked even worse, the ghostly pale skin a marked contrast to the bruises under his eyes and the other marks as he stared at Gibbs in desperation.

"Tim..."

McGee shook his head. "T – Tony is going to pull out of this, I know he will. I just have to buy him enough time, that's all. I... I bought a ring at a pawn shop. I went to one that didn't have security cameras and I paid cash so there's no record. Then I scrubbed all the possible DNA off of it and I slipped it onto Tony's finger before Senior kicked me out."

Tim's hand was shaking as he held up a plastic bag that held a plain gold band. "It's got his DNA all over it now and I even made sure his fingerprints were on it. I think I've thought of everything, Boss. I just need a second witness. I can forge your name, but I won't if you don't want me to."

Gibbs stared at Tim for a long time before finally shaking his head. "No, I don't want you to." Tim looked even more devastated and Gibbs began to suspect just how deeply he was in love with Tony. Instead, Gibbs picked up the pen and signed the forged document himself. "Okay, your wedding day, when was it?"

A broken sob, and then Tim got back on track. "Month before last, on the fourteenth. We weren't on call and none of us did anything that could be tracked that day. Reverend Ellis agreed to have his name on here and he was alone at his family's cabin that day, so that's where we got married."

It took a moment for Gibbs to place the name. Then he realized Reverend and former Colonel Ellis was the father of a murder victim, a Marine murdered by his own brother for the crime of converting to Islam. The faith and strength of the man was something that Gibbs always remembered. "You've talked to Ellis?"

"Yes."

Gibbs had to admit he was impressed. With this much detail, they possibly could pull it off. McGee just needed more confidence for when he was challenged. "Okay, what did you wear, what did Tony wear?"

There was just the slightest hesitation, McGee's voice growing stronger with every word. "I wore my black suit, Tony wore his dark gray Armani."

"Dinner?"

"Stopped at a little family restaurant on the way back into town that Reverend Ellis recommended. You paid cash, the waiter asked you which groom was your son."

"Good. What did I say?" Gibbs waited a fraction of a second before answer, himself. "I told him you both were sons of my heart." Tim teared up and Gibbs pulled him close, letting Tim lean on him for a moment.

Eventually Tim straightened up and wiped his eyes. "With any luck, when we get back to the hospital, Tony will be awake and we'll never need to show this to anyone."

"From your lips to God's ear."

They stepped out into the hallway, preparing to leave, just as Abby came in the front door. As soon as she saw Gibbs, she tried to hide the large bag behind her.

"Tony's stuff?"

She nodded slowly.

"Good. Get it put away in the bedroom. Make sure the condom box is partially empty and the lube looks used, then meet us back at the hospital."

Her eyes widened, but she nodded again before scurrying past them and into the master bedroom.

-NCIS-

Not wanting McGee behind the wheel of a car right now, Gibbs drove them back to the hospital. By the time they pulled into the parking lot, the ring was in Tim's front pocket. A second ring, probably from his marriage to Sam, was on Tim's finger, even though he had to be very careful not to let it slide off. However, most importantly, the carefully folded marriage certificate was in an official envelope and tucked away in McGee inner coat pocket.

Ellie was punching away on her phone as they walked back in. "Oh, there you are. I was just trying to call you. They think Tony's showing signs of waking up."

"Oh, thank God." Tim sagged and would have fallen if Gibbs hadn't been right next to him. "How soon before we know that..."

When his voice trailed off, Ellie gave him a hug. "I don't know, but Ducky is in there with him right now."

Gibbs watched McGee pace for a few minutes before intercepting him and steering him toward a chair. Once he had the younger man sitting down, Gibbs squatted down in front of him. "Breathe, Tim."

That got a nod and Tim closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. Once he looked more in control of himself, Gibbs stood to quietly question Ellie. "Where's Senior?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since he left to get a lawyer."

They had no way of knowing if that meant he was still trying to find someone to take the case or if he had and was now standing in front of a judge, claiming to be the only one who truly knows what his son needs. Before Gibbs could figure out the best way to find out, Ducky came down the hall.

"Ah good, you're back, Jethro, and you've got McGee with you. Come, I believe hearing a familiar voice will help Tony find his way back to us."

Abby arrived back just as they were going into the ICU, so it was the four of them that followed Ducky. Neither of the girls argued when McGee took the one chair next to the bed. Instead, they both stood at the other side white Gibbs stood vigil at the foot of the bed.

"Hey, Tony, you gave us all a real good scare, but it's time to wake up now." Tim leaned closer, watching Tony's eyes shifting under the closed lids. "Come on, you've got some really cute nurses on this shift, I know you don't want to sleep through that."

For the next hour, Tim, Abby and Ellie took turns talking to their teammate. There was definitely an increased level of awareness, but it didn't seem to be enough. Finally, Gibbs took matters into his own hands.

"DiNozzo! Sit Rep!"

As commanded, Tony's eyes snapped open.

"Yay, Tony, you're awake."

"Tony, thank goodness."

Instead of responding to either of the women, Tony was looking directly at McGee, frowning when he saw the bruises. "Oo...kay?"

Tim looked close to tears. "I'm not the one in the ICU with a skull fracture."

"Hard... head."

"Yeah." Tim laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, you've got a hard head all right, but let's stop trying to prove it, okay?"

"O...kay."

"What is he doing in my son's room?"

They all turned to look as Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. stood in the doorway, glaring at them.

"Dad? Why... you... here?"

"He's awake? Why didn't somebody tell me?" Senior pushed past the nurse and tried to push past Gibbs, who was braced for him.

"Settle down." Gibbs held on until he stopped struggling and actually looked at his son, who was hanging onto Tim's hand and trying to figure out what was going on.

"Why're you here? Got the team... with me."

"I see." Anthony pulled away from Gibbs and straightened his designer jacket. "It appears that I'm no longer needed. Tony, call me when you're up to it. I was worried about you, son."

Gibbs wasn't sure if it was just exhaustion and the head injury or if Tony was somehow aware of the tension in the room, but his lack of response to his father definitely deflated the older man. Once Senior was gone, the nurses moved to clear the rest of them from the room.

"Agent DiNozzo needs his rest and the doctors will want to examine him. Come back in the morning for visiting hours."

The girls each lightly kissed him on the cheek, then left. Tim bent close, almost touching his forehead against Tony's. "Take it easy, okay? You need anything, you call and I'll sneak it in to you."

"Something good to eat?"

"Yeah, breakfast is on me."

Rubbing his face, Tim quickly left the room, leaving Gibbs to say his goodbyes. Much like Tim, he bent close, but cupped Tony's cheek. "Don't scare us again like that, you hear me?"

"Got it, Boss." Gibbs started to straighten up, but Tony wasn't done. "Boss?"

"Yeah, Tony?"

"Make sure McGee's okay, he doesn't look so good."

That was the understatement of the century, but Gibbs gravely nodded. "I'll take care of him."

Passing the doctors in the hallway, Gibbs caught up with McGee near the elevator. "McGee? Tim?"

When Gibbs physically took his shoulders and turned him around, Tim stared blankly at him. "I don't remember where I parked."

"It's okay, I'll drive you home."

Tim passively let Gibbs take him out to the parking lot and put him in the Challenger. He didn't even react when Gibbs reached over and buckled him like a child. "He's going to be okay, Tim."

"Yeah, he is, isn't he?"

Gibbs had his suspicions and decided to test the waters. "It's not like Sam. Tony's alive and he's going to be okay."

With a muffled sob, Tim seemed to curl in on himself. Gibbs didn't say anything else, just rested his hand on the back of Tim's head until he pulled himself back together. Only then did he pull back and start the car.

It was a silent ride back to McGee's house. Gibbs parked on the street and followed him inside, not wanting him to be alone for the time being. "Go change, I'll see what food I can find."

Tim gave a nod and disappeared into his room. Gibbs rummaged around and found a can of soup. By the time it was hot, Tim had not returned so Gibbs went to go check on him and found him stripped down to his boxers and a clean t-shirt, laying face down and sideways across the bed.

Gibbs studied him for a moment, he remembered Abby telling him that she forced Tim to eat at one point, so the sleep was probably more important. It took a few seconds but Gibbs tugged the blankets out from under him, then got him turned around on the bed and tucked in. Just to be safe, he left one light on and the door open. Suddenly very tired himself, Gibbs stuck the pan of soup in the fridge, locked the front door, and went upstairs to the guest room. Tony was right, it was a very comfortable bed.

-NCIS-

Gibbs had been awake long enough to grab his go bag, shower, get dressed and check in with the hospital before he started making noise in the kitchen. McGee wandered in a few minutes later looking only a little more rested. "We should already be there by now."

"Nope." Gibbs handed McGee a cup of coffee with plenty of sugar added. "I've already called. He had a restful night and right now he's having an MRI and a full neurological work-up. He'll be back in his room about nine and we're welcome to bring him a treat as long as it's not too greasy or heavy on his stomach. So, drink your coffee and take your shower."

It was only a few minutes later when Tim was back. He was dressed and his hair was still wet, but combed. He was practically vibrating, so Gibbs didn't argue about leaving, even though they'd be waiting a while before they could see Tony.

Gibbs led McGee out to the Challenger, not giving him an option to drive himself, not until he looked a little more rested. Tim gave him a funny look, but didn't argue. He did, though, direct Gibbs to a bakery the older man had never seen before. The woman behind the counter knew McGee by name and quickly boxed up their usual order.

Tony was being wheeled into his room when they arrived, laughing and joking with his nurses in typical Tony fashion. "I'd love a sponge bath from you, or you. Oh, I know. How about all three of you? That way I'll be all squeaky clean."

There was giggling from the women and Gibbs didn't have to be in the room to know the expression on Tony's face. He turned to Tim and saw an entirely different expression.

"Tim."

The pained look was covered up with a forced smile. "Sounds like Tony's doing better." He didn't give Gibbs an opportunity to say anything else, as he walked into the hospital room. "Hey, Tony, breakfast delivery as ordered. Got you all your favorites and enough to share."

"McGee! My hero!" Tony grinned at Tim, they looked past him. "Hey, Boss, meet my nurses. They're going to take very good care of me."

"Good to hear, Tony." Gibbs glanced over at McGee. His face was stoic, as long as you didn't look into his eyes. "You gave us all quite a scare."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Even scared my dad, I guess. Look at the flowers that arrived this morning." Tony pointed at the large, extravagant bouquet by the window. "Said he was sorry he couldn't stay."

There was an awkward silence as Gibbs bit back the urge to tell him a few truths about his father. Trouble was, Tony already knew most of them but he still kept trying. Gibbs respected the effort, but right now he hated the results. "I'm sure he's very – busy."

"Yep, busy, that's what he always tells me." Tony eagerly reached for the bakery box and started offering the treats.

While Tony needed to reconfirm that he was among the living and that he was healing, Gibbs could tell that it was killing Tim to watch him flirt. That little reminder his gut was giving him last night was loud and clear now. "Okay, if you're all settled, McGee and I have reports to write."

As he'd suspected, Tim grabbed that lifeline with both hands. "Yeah, lots of paperwork, but we'll try to save some for you."

"Thanks, McGee." For a second, Tony looked like he was going to say something else, then he stuffed a pastry into his mouth.

They were in the car, driving to the Yard. Gibbs kept glancing over at McGee, trying to figure out what to say. He was called a functional mute for a reason, after all, and Gibbs knew it. Talking to one of his boys about a woman was hard enough, but talking to one of them about their feeling for the other was in a whole new level of hard.

"Tim, you know that Tony, well, he... sometimes things that are new, it's hard, you know... to... figure out..."

"Boss, it's okay." Appreciating the returned lifeline, Gibbs immediately shut up. "Tony's straight. He loves me as his best friend and that's enough for me."

"Still hurts, though."

"Yeah, but I just remember that I'm lucky he's alive at all."

It wasn't just luck, though. He'd known that McGee had become a damned good shot over the years, but he'd never expected what happened in that alley. "You saved his life that night."

Tim shrugged. "I just did what I had to do."

Gibbs thought it went a little further than that and he was looking forward to reading McGee's official report on how he dropped three suspects with three head shots from that distance.

* * *

 **a/n - Nano started last night. Yes, I am nuts. Hopefully, having such a major writing commitment will help me deal with the stress of waiting for my son's surgery. (Surgery is on the 12th, I'm writing a secret santa story for Nano, so it has to be done and turned in by the 19th of December. You guys will get it right after the first of the year, when the authors are revealed.**

 **I really appreciate all the positive thoughts and well wishes for his recovery. Thank you.**


	15. Chapter 15

"You ready to get out of here?"

"Please." Tony had had more than his fill of hospitals and was already dressed and waiting when Gibbs walked in behind the nurse with the wheelchair. He craned his head to see behind Gibbs. "You by yourself?"

Gibbs gave a nod as he picked up Tony's bag. "Yep. McGee's getting your room ready, the girls are shopping for food."

Tony frowned as he thought about what Gibbs said. "The room's fine. He didn't have to do anything special. I've even got some clothes left there."

"Gonna be there for more than a few days, Tony."

"Yeah, I guess so." In truth, Tony enjoyed the evenings he stayed over at McGee's, but this time every day there was a day he wasn't well enough or strong enough to be on his own. "I just want to be back to normal."

"Hey, isn't hanging out at McGee's normal?"

It was, but that wasn't the point. Tony climbed into the wheelchair, hating the way he had to shuffle around still. "Okay, but he better have my favorite pajamas."

-NCIS-

"Bed." Gibbs wasn't giving him an option as he turned Tony toward the stairs as soon as they walked in the door. Tony wasn't going to argue as just the drive home had him exhausted. Tim arrived from somewhere and between the two of them they had him up the stairs and into the guest room.

Despite his exhaustion, Tony looked around to see what changes McGee had thought necessary for the room. Two additions caught his eyes immediately. A television with a built-in DVD player was now on top of the dresser, while a small refrigerator had been added to the far corner of the room, just on the other side of the bed. "A TV up here now? Cool. Did you bring me my movies?"

"Not all of them, but probably enough to keep you entertained for a few days at least." McGee opened one of the smaller drawers to show the stack of DVD cases. He then opened each of the other drawers, then the closet to give Tony a glimpse of what was here now. No suits, but a variety of comfortable clothes, including his favorite pajamas. "Let me know if we missed anything you need and we'll get it."

"Thanks, man."

Tim brought the pajamas over to the bed and dropped them down on the mattress before tapping something on the nightstand to get Tony's attention. His eyes widened when he saw that it was a baby monitor. "You don't even have to yell to get my attention. You can turn it off if you want some privacy, but I hope you'll leave it on for a few days at least until you're a little more stable on your feet, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." Tony jerked his chin towards the tiny refrigerator. "What's in the fridge?"

"Water bottles and some juice. That way you won't have to get up in the middle of the night if you're thirsty."

Getting tired, Tony sat on the bed and picked up the soft pajama shirt. "You're going to spoil me. I may never want to leave."

There was a strange look that passed Tim's face, but it was gone before Tony could identify it. "You can stay as long as you want, you know that. When you start thinking about bringing a woman back with you is when you go back to your place, though."

That was fair enough. "Deal."

McGee and Gibbs both turned toward the door. "Take a nap, we'll have dinner when you wake up."

-NCIS-

Out in the hallway, Gibbs watched as Tim carefully closed the bedroom door. He waited a few seconds, and when Tim didn't move Gibbs stepped closer and laid a hand on Tim's shoulder. "He's okay, be driving us up the wall before you know it."

"Yeah." Tim rubbed at the ring finger on his left hand as he moved away. Gibbs had noticed it a few times since the day he was prepared to pose as Tony's husband. Nothing could be done about the memories that situation stirred up, but Gibbs gave him a moment of privacy by detouring to the newly finished bathroom. He'd been there when the last of the work had been done, but he'd left the final details and decorating for Tim to do on his own. Not surprisingly, it was perfect, right down to the last detail.

-NCIS-

It was several hours later when Tim heard movement through the monitor. Not knowing how steady on his feet Tony would be, he headed up and arrived in the bedroom just as Tony was sitting up on the edge of the bed. "Hey, how'd you sleep?"

"So much better than at the hospital. Why is it that as soon as you manage to go to sleep, they wake you up to give you a sleeping pill?"

Tim shrugged, pretending to think about it as he studied Tony. He'd be glad when the hair on the side of his head grew back enough to hide the scar, but the bruising was almost gone and the four hour nap seemed to have slightly lightened the dark shadows under his eyes. "One of the mysteries of life, I guess. Gibbs had to go back to the Yard, but he brought us dinner before he left. Do you want to eat downstairs or up here and watch a movie?" He didn't want Tony to be going up and down the stairs any more than he had to for the next few days, but he wasn't going to make him a prisoner either.

For a moment he thought Tony was going to argue about it, but the promise of a movie that had arrived while he was in the hospital won out. Pleased, Tim retreated downstairs to warm up the food from Elaine.

-NCIS-

Awake and alone for the moment, Tony carefully stood up. The few hours of peaceful sleep seemed to have helped as he felt steadier on his feet as he slowly made his way to the bathroom. Once there, he stopped and stared. A few times after he regained consciousness someone had mentioned Tim working to get the house ready for Tony, but he'd thought they were talking about one of McGee's cleaning frenzies, not this.

Gone was the pink tile with the green border. Gone was the pink, white and green swirled linoleum flooring. Gone was the clunky dual vanities with little storage. Gone even was the swinging door between the outer and inner rooms. Instead, he was looking at two white vanities, both with black granite tops. His shaving kit and toiletries were on the right hand vanity, the one he always used while he was there. The biggest change was the door, though. A sliding door now separated the two sections and he slid it open to find the new finishes and fixtures in here, too. White tiles covered all the walls, only broken up by a border of narrow black tiles about shoulder high and another row that circled around the shiny new bath tub. No jets, but the tub was extra deep and a safety bar was in place to make it easier to climb in and out.

Tony just smiled and shook his head. "Thanks, Timmy."

McGee arrived with food just as Tony was shuffling back to the bedroom. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Bathroom turned out cool. When did you finish it?"

The fact that Tim glanced down at his watch was Tony's first clue. "Last night."

"As in after dinner or right before the sun came up?" The tall dresser was in the corner, the closest to being across from the foot of the bed that was possible thanks to the dormer window, but it was close enough to be easy to see as Tim got the movie set up. It also gave Tony the perfect view as Tim flushed at the question. "Damn it, Tim. You didn't have to do that for me. I didn't mind the pink too much."

Tim looked a little guilty, then shrugged. "I'd already started the demolition before you got hurt." Instead of babbling on as was his norm, Tim started the movie. A lot had been going on behind the scenes since he'd gotten hurt, he knew that much, but everyone seemed to be avoiding the subject. Tony almost questioned him more, but if he were honest with himself, he was a little afraid of the answers.

-NCIS-

"What are you doing?"

Tim's near panicked tone almost made Tony drop the glass before he could put it in the dishwasher. "Dishes – you know, those things that get dirty when we eat."

"You shouldn't be bending over like that yet. You have a skull fracture, Tony."

It had been almost two weeks, but McGee was still treating him like a stiff breeze would damage him. "Had, McGee. I'm fine, now."

"You're a long way from fine. Now, sit down and let me do that. Are you in pain? Do you need a pill?" Tim shooed him away from the kitchen and took over loading the dishwasher.

Banished to the family room, Tony watched him carefully. The team had been slammed hard. First the detail when he'd been hurt, then the fallout from that which they were still dealing with. Then they'd been called out on a triple homicide. As he understood it, they'd put the case to bed last night, but they all had to be running on fumes by now. To top it off, McGee had been running himself ragged waiting on Tony hand and foot, and Tony knew how grumpy and snappy he'd been at times, frustrated with his slow recovery. Tony wasn't allowed to know anything about the investigation into the dirty agents and guards that had almost killed him, and he wasn't able to help at all with the case, but there was one thing he could do to take some of the load off of his friend. "No, but I could use a ride back to my place tomorrow."

"What?" As expected, Tim didn't seem to approve of that idea. "It's too soon."

"Hey, you said that when I was ready to bring a woman back here, it was time to go home, so I'm going home."

Tim's back was to him at the moment as he loaded the dishwasher, so Tony couldn't see the expression on his face, but he stiffened up and almost dropped the plate that was in his hand. "Oh, of course. Why don't I help you get packed up tonight and I'll drop you off on my way to work."

-NCIS-

"Welcome back, Tony."

"Thanks, Bishop." It did feel good to be back, even if it was just to sit at his desk and do paperwork. Tony looked around as he settled into his chair and turned on his computer. The doctors hadn't wanted to sign off on even desk duty for another week, but Ducky convinced them he'd get into less trouble here, where his friends could keep an eye on him, which reminded him to do something nice for McGee this week. The man had been nothing but a saint, putting up with his foul moods when he'd realized that his recovery wasn't going to take just a few days. McGee was on the phone, but gave him a shy smile when Tony looked over at him.

"Here." Gibbs came around the corner and dropped a stack of files on his desk. "Something to keep you busy." No welcome back speech there, but the look in his eyes said it all as Gibbs saw his team back at full strength and together again.

The togetherness didn't last long as McGee ended his call and jumped to his feet. "Found our witness."

"Go, take Bishop with you."

Less than two hours later, Tony closed the last of the files Gibbs had given him. "Okay, all I had to do was read them, everything was already done, including my signatures. You give me the wrong stack?"

"Nope, everything else is already archived."

Tony felt his mouth open and forcibly closed it while he tried to process that little tidbit. "Everything?"

"Everything."

"We're never that far ahead in paperwork. Legal is going to have a heart attack." Judging from the look on Gibbs' face, that conversation had already happened. "Boss?"

"Let's just say that McGee was pretty intense after you were hurt."

This was one of those times Tony wished Gibbs was a little more verbose. "Define pretty intense."

Gibbs didn't answer, not that Tony was really expecting him to, but he did pull a case file out of his desk drawer. When he held it out, Tony had this momentary fear that McGee had done something stupid and that Gibbs was covering for him. Scared, he took the file when it was handed to him.

Inside the front cover were three autopsy photos, the head shots that were the cause of death in each case very apparent. "Oh, God, he..."

"Shot all three of them from the back of the surveillance van when they jumped you."

A lot of the details were still pretty fuzzy, but he seemed to remember there was a fair distance between the meet and the surveillance van. "But that, at that distance?"

"Yeah."

"In the dark?"

"Yeah."

"Damn. I mean, I've seen him do some pretty impressive shooting out at the range and I've seen him take out a surveillance camera with a paint gun, but still."

"SecNav wanted to start sending him out for wet work."

"No way. Not McGee, he's too good for that. It would destroy him." Tony was already on his feet before he realized that Gibbs was waving him back down.

"Easy. I got it handled. He's ours, but I don't think anyone's going to mistake him for tech support again."

The pounding in his head and chest were making Tony lightheaded and he fell back into his chair. Yes, he wanted McGee to be more acknowledged for all that he did on the team, but nobody else was getting him, Tim belonged to them and no one else. "Is he okay now?"

Gibbs gave him a tilt of his head as an answer before filling in the blanks. "He channeled it, paperwork frenzy that legal will be talking about for years, wore out a couple of bags in the gym that needed to be replaced anyway and set a hell of a lot of tile. He's getting there."

-NCIS-

Tim was restless. Tony had been back to work for a few days now and things were settling back into place, but he still couldn't let it all go. Trying hard to focus on the choice between frozen pizza or a sandwich, he almost didn't hear the doorbell. The doorbell rang a second time and Tim stepped into the dining room just in time to see a yellow cab backing out of his driveway. Suspecting the identity of his visitor, Tim was talking before he reached the door. "Tony, you've got a key."

When he opened the door, Tony was the one standing there and his arms were full. Tim immediately took some of the load.

"Thanks. I couldn't reach my key." He walked in and went straight to the dining room, setting everything he was carrying on the table. Tim followed him, adding his own armful to the pile.

"What is all of this?"

Tony started unloading food. Tim recognized the label on the boxes – Alfonzo's, Tony's favorite date night restaurant. Next came a bottle of wine, a tray of desserts from Claire Blume's and a science fiction DVD that wasn't actually being released for another two days. Everything set out, Tony finally turned to him. "This is a belated, thanks for having my back, thanks for not giving up on me and thanks for putting up with me, dinner."

Tim got what he was trying to say but he wasn't done yet. "I owe you, man, and I hope you can forgive me for being such an ass when you were just trying to help."

"I don't know what you're talking about. You were a perfect gentleman when you were here." They grinned, the ice broken, and Tim pointed to the china cabinets. "Weren't you the one that told me to never eat from disposable plates in here?"

"Right you are." Tony joined him and they set out plates, silverware and wine glasses before Tony waved him off. "Go change. One does not eat Alfonzo's prime rib special in their pajamas."

The two of them, dressed to the nines, eating food from one of DC's premier restaurants, it was so much like a date that Tim couldn't breathe for a second. Tony looked at him funny and he tried to cover his lapse. "I don't know, Tony. With an entire platter of those desserts, I'm thinking an elastic waistband might be pretty comfy."

When Tony grinned at him, he pointed over his shoulder at the stairs. "You've still got some stuff upstairs."

"Fine. You dish up and I'll go change."

Sitting at his own table, both of them barefoot and in pajama pants, eating prime rib with all the trimmings along with red wine and chocolate mousse, laughing about old cases, it was the best non-date he'd ever been on.

-NCIS-

Stuffed, and yeah, those pajama pants were really comfortable after two slices of chocolate mousse pie and a crème brulle, Tony leaned back in his chair and tossed his napkin on the table. "Thanks, man."

"Thank you. You're the one that brought dinner."

Tony just shrugged before a yawn slipped out. He hadn't realized how much the stress had been bothering him until it was gone. Tim just gave him a knowing look.

"You want to crash here tonight? Your bed's all ready for you and there's fresh towels in the bathroom."

"Sure you don't mind? I am pretty tired."

"Go on, get some sleep. You need to be good and rested for your doctor's appointment." Tim had heard the date, but after clearing the air and splitting a bottle, he couldn't remember the day. "Is it tomorrow or Thursday?"

"Thursday afternoon. I just," Tony closed his eyes for a moment. "I just want all this done and get back to my life, you know?"

"You'll get there, I know it."

"Hope so. With Bishop leaving next week for FLETC, I don't want to leave you guys down another man."

"Gibbs and I did all right when you were – away." They'd made it an unspoken rule to never mention the trip to Israel or Tim's trip to Dubai. "And this time, we'll have you to do all the paperwork and background checks."

"Funny, McGee."

"I thought so." Tim jerked his head toward the stairs. "Go on, I'll see you in the morning. You left some laundry here. It's all washed and put away up there so you've got clean clothes for tomorrow."

* * *

a/n - Okay, the site's been kinda glitch for the last week, not always bringing updated stories to the top of the list. If you've noticed, I'm putting the number of the most current chapter in the story summary for you guys. I'm also spreading out my updates throughout the day. Maybe if one update doesn't get the story moved up the list, the next one will. Three chapters today, so there will be one more later this evening. Enjoy.


	16. Chapter 16

It had been a long week, but the weekend was just around the corner. Tim was catching up on his email when his phone rang. Hoping it was Tony, with a report from his doctor's appointment, Tim grabbed his phone, but it was a number he hadn't seen in a while, a number with the international code for Dubai.

He stared at the phone as it rang in his hand, eventually going to voice mail. Problem solved for tonight, but instead of a message, the caller hung up and immediately called back. He didn't want to do this, but after the fourth call, he found himself answering.

"What is it, Delilah?" She was silent for a moment, then she started speaking, her voice flat, and he knew she wasn't calling to win him back.

 _I've been monitoring things._

He really didn't want to play this game. "What things, Delilah?"

 _Ziva._

"What about her?" Nope, he didn't want to play this game either.

 _She's been hopping around to different countries. I can't get any information about what she's doing, but it's all very hush-hush._

"She's Mossad again probably, what do you expect?"

 _I know, but..._

She paused. He could tell she was chewing on whatever it was she wanted to tell him. Chewing in a literal sense. If he closed his eyes, he could remember how she'd nibble on the end of her pen when she was thinking, but he couldn't let himself go down that path again, not when the fear and the loneliness that almost losing Tony had stirred up was so fresh in his heart. "I'm tired, Delilah. Whatever it is, just say it."

 _Okay... six months after Tony left Israel, she gave birth to a premature baby. Tony's name is on the birth certificate._

It was Tim's turn to be silent as he felt the bottom of his world fall away. Tony would never willingly abandon his child, which meant that he'd soon be going to wherever Ziva was, leaving Tim alone once more. Delilah listened to the silence, then continued.

 _Ziva left the baby with her aunt and as far as I can tell, hasn't been back to Israel since. There's money coming into a bank account for the aunt, but I can't trace where it's from, I get as far as a bank in the Camen Islands._

"How long have you known?"

 _About her being pregnant? Since before I came to Dubai._

"You knew when you were here? When you would have dinner with us, you knew Ziva was out there, carrying Tony's baby. And you didn't think Tony had a right to know about this? He's the kid's father for God's sake."

 _It was Ziva's choice; I had to respect that._

The sudden pain in his foot almost made him drop the phone and that was when he realized he was pacing and had caught his little toe on the leg of the chair. "And... and now? Why are you telling me this now?"

 _Her aunt died. I've been waiting and watching to see if she showed up to claim her daughter, but she hasn't. A neighbor of the aunt has been taking care of the baby, but in three days she goes to foster care and then adoption._

The flat tone of her voice was starting to piss him off. "Now you care? Tony is your friend, too, Delilah."

 _If Ziva didn't want Tony to know and was having the baby cared for, that was one thing, but I couldn't just watch her go to strangers._

Limping, Tim returned to his desk and found a pen. "Start at the beginning. Tell me everything you know."

-NCIS-

Reading, Gibbs looked up as the door opened and Tony walked into his house. "Thought you were going to call after your check-up this afternoon." His gut wasn't really pinging, but the younger man looked agitated. Tony paced, raking his fingers through his hair, increasing Gibbs' worry.

"Two more weeks. They want to reassess in two more weeks before they'll even talk about letting me back out in the field."

That surprised Gibbs. Not that they wouldn't sign off this quick – after all, if it had been a bone in his arm he would still be in a cast, but that he honestly expected to be back out there that quick. He grasped Tony's upper arms, to keep him still and look him in the eye. "Yeah, Tony, the bones **in your head** are still healing. This was your first full exam since you left the hospital, did you really expect them to sign off on you this quick?"

-NCIS-

Tim stared at all the notes he'd written down, but how do you tell a guy something like this? Especially so soon after almost dying. He went back to pacing for a few more laps around his office. How? Not over the phone, that was for sure. Tonight? Wait until morning? The doctor's appointment had been this afternoon – good news, bad news? Was this good news or one more thing in his life taken out of Tony's control?

Gibbs, Gibbs would know. Tim stepped down wrong on his foot again and cursed before finding a pair of shoes. First step would be Gibbs, then they'd figure out the best way to tell Tony.

-NCIS-

Gibbs saw the moment logic and rational thinking overtook the fear in Tony's mind as his ears turned red in embarrassment. "Umm, yeah?"

"Uh huh." He slid one hand up to cup the back of Tony's head. "You gave us all a good scare, doctors included. You're going to make it back, you just can't rush it."

Tony's head bowed under Gibbs' touch. "Yeah, I just..."

Stroking the side where the fracture and bullet wound had been, Gibbs shook his own head. "Hey, nobody is going to take your spot on the team. Stop worrying about it and just concentrate on healing, okay? When the doctors say you're ready, you'll be back out there with us. Not a moment before and not a moment after."

"Okay." Blinking hard, Tony raised his head to look at Gibbs. "I knew that, I really did."

"Just needed a reminder?"

"Yeah." Obviously embarrassed by his near breakdown, Tony pointed toward the bathroom. "I'm just gonna'..."

Gibbs let go and stepped back, allowing him to escape for a chance to pull himself together. Gibbs had been drinking tea before Tony showed up, but after this he needed coffee.

The water hadn't hit the beans before there were heavy footsteps on the back deck and McGee rushed in, a panicked look on his face. Hell, now what? Between his two boys, there was never a dull moment. "McGee?"

He was babbling and stumbling over his words like it was his first year on the team again. "I trusted her. He trusted her. I trusted them both... and Tony, how am I going to tell Tony, Boss? He should have been told months ago. He should have been told right from the beginning. Now there's no time, he has to make a decision right away and it's not fair. Not like this. Not after almost dying, and..."

"Tim!" For the second time in less than an hour, Gibbs had one of his boys by his arms, but this one he could shake. "Stop. Breathe." Over McGee's shoulder, he looked toward the hallway, but there was no sign of Tony. Even if he couldn't see him, the house was too small for their voices not to carry that far.

"Whatever it is, we'll handle it. Now, take another deep breath and tell me what's wrong."

Just as he was told, Tim took a deep breath, but the words tumbled out as fast as before. "Ziva was pregnant when Tony left Israel. She had his baby and didn't tell anyone. Her aunt has been raising the baby, but now her aunt is dead and if Tony doesn't go to Israel and claim his daughter, she'll go into foster care. They're already interviewing families for adoption."

"What!" Gibbs had been so focused on what McGee was telling him, he missed Tony's arrival, but it was too late now as Tony stared at both of them. "How do you know this, McGee? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just found out, Tony. Delilah's known from almost the beginning, apparently. At least by the time the baby was born."

"And she didn't tell you?"

"Not the first thing she's kept to herself since she went to Dubai. All I know is that the baby was premature and by the time she was ready to leave the hospital, Ziva was gone."

"How premature?"

"I don't know."

"Is the baby all right now?"

"I don't know."

"Damn it, McGee, what in the hell do you know?"

Gibbs stepped physically between them. "DiNozzo, don't kill the messenger."

Tony sagged at that reminder, but Tim kept talking. "All that I do know is that you have a right to know your child and you should have been part of this from the beginning."

"Sorry, man." The apology was heartfelt, but Tim waved it off, not appearing to be hurt or offended by Tony's outburst. Gibbs was glad to see Tony realize that he'd been yelling at the wrong person, but he was still waiting for his real reaction. As Tony continued to process it, Gibbs walked both of them into the living room.

"Wait a minute, you said 'she'?"

"Yeah, Tony, you have a daughter. I know having more time to get used to the idea would be nice, but if a legal parent doesn't show up by the end of the week, she's going into foster care, so you really don't have any time."

Gibbs still had a hold of both of them, so he made sure Tony landed on the sofa before pushing Tim down next to him and sitting down on the edge of the coffee table to face them. A thousand emotions were flickering across DiNozzo's face, but the most apparent was wonder.

"A daughter, a little girl. Boss, I'm a dad."

"Yeah, Tony, you are." Gibbs reached forward to pat his knee, but Tony jumped back to his feet, prowling the now too small room.

"What am I going to do? I don't know anything about kids, let alone a baby."

Gibbs climbed back on his feet. His living room might be feeling crowded at the moment, but it still took him a minute to corner DiNozzo. "None of us do at the beginning, Tony. You'll learn and you're not doing this alone, you know." Now that he had Tony's attention, he pointed at himself, then McGee. "Grandpa and Uncle Tim are going to be with you every step of the way."

McGee nodded at that and Tony seemed to calm down, but it lasted just a second and then he was on the move again. "My place isn't big enough." His eyes widened. "Oh, my God, it's an adult only building. Shit." Panicking again, he rubbed at his cheeks as he paced and now McGee was back on his feet.

"Move into my place with me."

They were orbiting around each other and Gibbs was torn between putting them both in a headlock or just getting out of the way.

"Move in? I can't impose like that. I mean, babies come with a lot of stuff, lots and lots of stuff."

Tim seemed to have already made the decision. "So? You guys can have the entire upstairs. There's three bedrooms, the bathroom, the bonus room. The only thing I'm using up there right now is the storage room and I've got maybe one shelf filled with stuff that can go out in the garage if you need that, too. You can turn the bonus room into a living room for yourself or a play room. You don't have to worry about rent, just help with the utilities and the groceries. That way you don't have to worry about the cost of day care or a nanny and Grandpa will be right across the back yard."

Tony started to look hopeful for the first time since the bombshell had been dropped on him. McGee was on a roll so Gibbs stayed quiet as Tony processed the offer. The boys were only inches apart and Tim grabbed Tony's arms. "You can do this, Tony. We can do this and you're going to be a great dad."

"Really?"

"Really. So, are we going to Israel to get your little girl?"

"Yeah. Wait, we?"

"Hey, do you think I'm going to turn you loose over there by yourself? Somebody's got to pull strings and soothe feathers. At least I'm still on speaking terms with our contacts at Mossad."

Tony was grinning, which Gibbs would have thought impossible twenty minutes ago. "Thanks, man."

"All right, I'll get us two seats to Tel Nof Air Base, first thing in the morning."

"Make it three." When they both looked at him, Gibbs laid down the law. "We're doing this as a family. I'll deal with Vance."

The reminder about the job seemed to set Tony off again. "Okay, yeah. Oh, my God, there's so much to do. I don't even know where to start."

McGee seemed stalled on ideas at the moment, so Gibbs took over. "Afternoon flight, McGee. Get a few hours sleep and go shopping in the morning." He looked over at Tim, hoping he'd pick up on that. He did.

"Come home with me tonight and we'll make plans. Pick out what bedroom's hers, what colors you want, stuff like that. Ducky can be in charge of putting it all together while we're gone – unless you want Abby to be in charge of your daughter's style."

"Umm, no. I love Abby, but no."

Gibbs had to grin at that. "Then Tim's right and you'd better go home with him and make some decisions." He'd lived though enough of McGee's house projects to know he'd keep Tony busy and focused because there was no way in hell any of them were sleeping much tonight. McGee gave him a subtle nod as he started to usher Tony toward the back door. Gibbs returned the nod, then gave a larger one to DiNozzo. "It's going to be fine, Tony. We've got this."

He waited until they were through the gate before picking up his phone. As soon as the call connected, he started talking. "Hey, you home? We've got a situation."

 _How bad?_

"For once it's good."

 _Okay, I'll put the coffee on._

"Be there in twenty."

-NCIS-

Arriving back at the house, Tony bounded up the stairs, Tim moving slower behind him. All the nights he'd spent up here, he really hadn't paid much attention to other rooms. Two bedrooms faced the back of the house, both approximately the same size. From the windows in one, there was a view of the tall trees on that side and not much else while the other back bedroom looked down onto the side lawn. It also had the advantage of being closer to the bedroom Tony always considered his. The bathroom was in between the two back bedrooms, so they were even in that regard.

The storage room was exactly that, not too big with floor to ceiling shelves on all the walls. Plenty of room for both men to use without crowding the other. Their long, drawn out plans for the man cave in the basement meant that they'd pretty much ignored the bonus room up here. It was long and skinny with an alcove at one end, plenty big enough for his living room furniture and still have a play area set up. Tony went back out into the open area that served as a hall, joining all the rooms, where Tim was waiting for him.

"Got it figured out? I don't think we can get your grand piano up the stairs, but everything else should fit. Maybe put the piano in the living room? Diagonal from the fireplace?"

Tony thought about it. He really liked the living room the way it was. "Kinda mess up what you've got in there."

Tim just shrugged at him. "We'll figure something out."

"You're really okay with all of this?" Tony studied him closely, but none of the tell-tale signs of stressed McGee were there. "I mean, I'm uprooting your entire life."

"Change is good. Didn't you tell me that once? Besides, being Uncle Tim is probably the closest I'm ever going to come to having a kid of my own."

"Don't say that, Buddy. I kinda like the idea of our kids growing up together. My little girl bossing your little guy around, the next generation right on track, what do you say?"

"Yeah, maybe. For now, I'm just going to concentrate on being Uncle Tim."

Something about the way he said that. "You're going to spoil her rotten, aren't you?"

"Yep. Totally rotten." Tim was smiling at him. "And when you do decide to move out, I'm buying her a drum set."

Tony tried to control it, but the laugh bubbled out of him anyway as he shook his head. "Hell, with that as the threat, I might not move out until she leaves for college." College, teens, dating, there was that panic he was trying not to feel, welling up again. "I can figure out a boy, but she's a girl. What do I do when she gets her first period? Her first date?" Great, now McGee was laughing at him.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Tony. Let's get through potty training first."

Tony wasn't sure what the expression on his face looked like, but it had Tim laughing again. Finally, he calmed down and squeezed Tony's shoulders, and Tony felt himself calming, too. "We may be two men without much of a clue, but I have a little sister, Gibbs had a little girl and Vance has a daughter. We've got Ellie and Abby, not to mention Jimmy and Breena and of course, Grandpa Ducky. We're not going to let you fail, I give you my word. So, bedrooms? You want to just go ahead and make the guest room yours?"

It was right on the tip of his tongue to ask if Tim would mind, but the look on Tim's face gave him the answer. "Yeah, I think so. That bed's pretty comfortable."

"Okay, that works. We can stick your old bed in the extra bedroom in case we have company."

"Yeah, then if your sister ever shows up, she'll have a place to stay."

Tim looked at him with a strange look. "What about your dad? What are you going to tell him?"

"Nothing for now." The look of relief on Tim's face reminded Tony that eventually he'd get the entire story out of him. "After we've got her home and settled, then I'll think about it."

"That works. So, which room for our little princess?"

Tony walked to the doorway of the room he'd already picked out. "This one. It's close to me and it's got great light."

"Okay, let's get online and start looking at ideas. We've got a nursery to decorate."

-NCIS-

Vance debated between coffee and bourbon, but the bourbon won out. It was late enough that he'd have to drink decaf and he wasn't about to offer decaf to Gibbs without a full security team on stand-by. Bottle and two glasses on his desk, he sat back to wait and wonder. It was possible that this late night visit had something to do with DiNozzo. His first follow up appointment was today, but Vance couldn't think of anything bad enough that would have developed that quickly to cause this level of reaction. He was still in the fairly early stages of his recovery. Besides, Gibbs said it wasn't bad this time.

McGee? Had he salvaged his relationship with Delilah Fielding? He could see Gibbs deciding that she needed to be hired on at NCIS so he could keep an eye on her. No, actually he couldn't imagine Gibbs letting her near one of his cubs again after breaking his heart the first time. Could he have decided to come out of the closet? Heart broken by a woman, getting fatherly support that he'd never had before, it actually made some sense, including the late night visit to give the Director the head's up.

Okay, that could actually work. Vance leaned back in his chair and thought about it for a moment. He'd be the first openly out agent at Headquarters, but making sure he was fully supported would go a long way in reassuring others that weren't quite so brave. Prepared to be happy and supportive, Vance stood when headlights flashed against the front window.

He opened the door, knowing that Gibbs wouldn't beat around the bush. He'd come in, take a few more steps, then announce...

"Need you to take my team out of rotation while Bishop is at FLETC."

Okay, so not what he was expecting. "Why?" He looked closer at Gibbs and realized that this wasn't a McGee's coming out of the closet vibe. Damn it, that would have been easy. He sighed and turned back to the waiting bottle. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but why?"

"Turns out DiNozzo left a little something behind in Israel."

Vance stared at him. Okay, so McGee's still in the closet and we're back to DiNozzo. Left something in Israel... what would he have... "You have got to be kidding me."

"Yeah, Ziva was pregnant when he left, never told him."

"He's going to go fight her for custody, isn't he?" Vance tried to imagine an international custody fight with Mossad getting involved and he reached for the bourbon. Gibbs looked way too calm for this.

"Nope. Ziva's nowhere to be found and the baby's guardian just died. We're bringing his little girl home where she belongs."

Two glasses poured, he nudged one closer to Gibbs before taking a sip of his own. "And it takes all three of you to do that?"

"McGee handling the paperwork and the courts. Like he said, he's the one with contacts over there that are still talking to him."

"And you?"

Gibbs grinned and took a sip of his bourbon. "You really want the two of them over there unsupervised?"

That made Vance chuckle. "When things go bad, your team is the best in the Agency. The rest of the time, it's like herding cats."

The grin widened even further. "Preaching to the choir, Leon."

* * *

 **a/n - Did you see that one coming? See everyone tomorrow.**


	17. Chapter 17

0600, he'd managed a power nap and packing a few extras in his go bag. Now he was meeting Vance aboard the Yard. He wasn't sure how much of disruption this was for legal and HR, but he'd found that pastry shop the boys liked and stocked up on treats for the employees that had come in early.

Pamela already had the coffee going and Gibbs opened the bakery box to give her first choice, which earned him a smile and a kiss on the cheek. "Go on in, he's waiting for you."

Gibbs stacked two of the pastries on a napkin and left the box on her desk. "Make sure these go where they need with Agent DiNozzo's thanks."

"I will... Grandpa?"

Her guess made him grin. "Yep."

Delores passed him in the doorway, holding it open for him. His hands were full, but he managed to point out the pink cardboard box on Pamela's desk as they passed. Handing Vance his bear claw, Gibbs sat down across from him. "Were they able to get everything done?"

Vance started stacking papers in front of him. "Insurance forms, all the paperwork identifying her as a dependent of a federal employee. Temporary paperwork for immigration in case anyone at customs questions her citizenship; get a copy of her birth certificate to go along with it and there won't be any trouble bringing her into the country. Have Tony sign all of this, bring me everything except the immigration paperwork."

"Thanks, Leon, I owe you for this." He quickly looked through all the various forms, some he'd never seen before. "Did it get more complicated to have a kid?"

"Having them is one thing. Bringing them back from the Middle East got a little more complicated. Anything else DiNozzo needs from the Agency?"

"Change of address forms. He and the baby are moving in with McGee."

Vance's eyebrow went up, but he didn't comment as he pulled the required form up on his computer and sent it to the printer.

Everything filled a manila folder and Gibbs stood. "I'll drop signed papers off on my way to the airport."

"You breaking the news to the rest of them, or are you leaving that to me?"

Gibbs waved the file. "When I'm back with this."

"Oh, good. I'm not sure my back could handle telling Ms. Sciuto about this."

He knew exactly what Vance meant. "Don't worry, you'll be safe once I tell them. After all, the rest of the team will be on decorating and crib assembly duty while we're gone."

"That should keep them busy. Is DiNozzo leaving Abby in charge of...?"

Gibbs snorted, knowing that Vance was trying to find a tactful way to ask exactly which of the strong willed people would be painting McGee's house without him there. "As I understand, McGee and DiNozzo are leaving very specific instructions and Ducky will be in charge of making sure they're carried out."

A look of relief crossed Vance's face, then one of sadness. Gibbs knew, without a doubt, that he was thinking of how Jackie would have reacted to the news. He wasn't surprised, he'd dreamed about Shannon and Kelly last night, too. Dwelling on the might have beens didn't get the job done though.

-NCIS-

"Morning, Jethro." Smiling, Elaine held up the coffee pot. "Breakfast or just coffee this morning."

"Actually, three breakfasts to go this morning."

"Feeding the boys?" Elaine smiled as she wrote the order down for the kitchen. Her old friend was much happier and settled this last year and she was convinced they had a great deal to do with it.

"Yep, breakfast before we head out. Gonna have a surprise when we get home."

"Sounds good. You boys be careful, you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am." He laid the money on the counter, kissed the side of her cheek and vanished out the door with his food.

-NCIS-

When Gibbs arrived at the house, the two of them were bent over McGee's computer. "Got everything figured out?"

Tony straightened up as Tim finished what he was doing. "Everything's picked out and ordered. Did you know you can't buy a crib already assembled?"

"Well, yeah, DiNozzo. Pretty hard to get them in the box if they're already assembled."

Tim joined them as they moved to the breakfast nook, handing Tony back his credit card. "Can we borrow the truck? That way we can get it all in one load."

"Sure." Hell, McGee drove the darn thing almost as much as he did. Speaking of all the other projects in the house, "So, you got an inspiration picture that you're using like in the dining room and the living room?" McGee was getting pretty good at that look as he tilted his head and stared at Gibbs. Of course they did and a moment later, he heard the printer in the office whirl to life.

Gibbs had Tony signing papers while McGee set out the food. That saved time and they were full and ready to head out just as the stores were getting ready to open.

"I'll return these to Vance and then meet you at the airfield. I assume you want me to break the news to the gang?"

"Would you mind? I don't think I want to handle that level of energy right now."

"Figured as much. Don't worry, I'll make sure Ducky keeps her focused." They were pretty much finished, so Gibbs carried his last piece of toast with him as he walked into McGee's study and pulled the page out of the printer. Not sure what to expect, he studied it while he was alone.

It was a definite blending of the two men's styles. Every room in the house had at least a touch of black, from the black sofa and accent lamps in the family room to the striking black walls in the formal dining room. In the picture they'd based the nursery plans on, the black was in the furniture – an ebony colored crib and changing table – combined with a pretty pale pink kept it both feminine and contemporary with a touch of lace for the classic. Approving so far, Gibbs leaned over to look at the confirmed purchase still showing on the screen. Bedding and coordinating curtains in the same color combination. It wasn't the same set as in the picture, but Gibbs actually liked it better.

-NCIS-

Upstairs to drop off the papers to Vance, then down to the bullpen. Gibbs crooked a finger at Bishop as he walked through. She fell in behind him, no questions asked, and he called Ducky before they got on the elevator, which meant that Ducky and Palmer arrived outside the lab right after they did. "What is going on, Jethro? You sounded quite cryptic on the phone, I must say."

Gibbs just held a finger up and led them inside. He really only had time to say this once. "Hey, Abs."

Focused on the music, Abby jumped as she spun around. "Gibbs! What... what's going on?"

-NCIS-

It was a good morning in Abbyville. Major Mass Spec had calibrated easily and without a fuss and all her babies were happily humming along. She turned at the sound of her name and the lab was filled with almost the entire team, much like when Delilah had dumped McGee. Well, the team minus Tim and Tony. Tim and Tony, Tony and Tim. Tony had been hurt, McGee had been taking care of him... Oh, no, had something happened? "Gibbs! What... what's going on? No more bad news, please."

"Nope, no bad news this time." He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. Comfort? She didn't want comfort, she wanted answers.

"Then what? Tony's not here, McGee's not here. Where are they? What's happened?"

"They're packing and getting ready. The three of us are flying out in a few hours. You three," he pointed to Ducky and Palmer, along with Abby. "Will be painting and getting the nursery set up here while Bishop is at FLETC."

"Nursery? McGee's not that much into plants. Is he?" Even as she was asking, the obvious answer was rolling around in her head. "Wait a minute, you mean a nursery for a baby? That kind of nursery?"

"Yep."

Thoughts were flying through Abby's head, mostly the calendar and math. It wasn't adding up the right way. "Is McGee sure about this? After all, Delilah lied to him before, maybe the new boyfriend dumped her and now she's trying to con McGee into taking on her kid."

Gibbs looked surprised and she thought that maybe she was onto something, but then he shook his head and told how totally wrong she was. "Not McGee, DiNozzo. Ziva had his kid, then dumped the baby on her aunt."

"Ziva? Ziva was pregnant and didn't tell any of us? How could she do that?"

"Don't know." Gibbs looked at Abby closely, pursing his lips before shaking his head. "Don't really care, either. She walked away from Tony, walked away from us, kept Tony in the dark, and then walked away from the baby the second she could. We're done with her."

Abby hesitated, biting her lip and Gibbs pinned her with a look, obviously knowing what was going on inside her head.

"No. Unless Tony asks, we don't look for her. It's his decision and his alone. Got it?"

With such a direct order her plans were shelved, at least for now. "Got it."

"Good." Gibbs looked at Ducky next. "Apparently, the baby was premature, spent a lot of time in the hospital. We'll get the full medical history while we're there, but..."

"Of course, Jethro. I will make sure I am up to date on the latest medical therapies to help our wee one."

Abby heard her own voice, hot and angry, before it even registered that her mouth had opened. "Wait, what? She walked away from a sick, premature baby?"

"Without a second glance. Still thinking she needs to be given another chance? Or should we concentrate on the baby?"

She'd forgiven Ziva a lot over the years, but this? Abby shook her head. "Nursery?"

"DiNozzo and the baby are moving in with McGee. They've bought everything so it will be up to you guys to have it all done before we get back." Gibbs gave Abby another careful look, but she wasn't totally sure what it meant, then he handed her the picture. "This is what they want. Ducky's in charge of making it as close to this as you guys can manage."

Everyone crowded around to look, Ducky smiling in approval. Even Palmer approved. "Breena and I should hire McGee to do our nursery." Everyone looked up and Palmer blinked. "Umm, when the time comes, I mean."

Abby traced her finger over the printed image. The team now referred to Abby Black vs McGee Black and this was a perfect example, but it was very pretty and it was what they wanted. "Okay, Bossman, one beautiful, sophisticated nursery coming up."

"That's my girl. Mrs. Olson has the key to the house. We'll see you when we get back." A kiss to her forehead and he was out the door.

-NCIS-

McGee had gotten them spots on a military transport going over, suggesting that they'd have less explaining to do if there wasn't a public record of the three of them flying over. Gibbs really hadn't anticipated a problem, but then McGee reminded him that Tony had dated a few ICE agents over the years. Tony had rolled his eyes at the time, then admitted not all the break-ups had been pleasant, so now they were walking up the ramp of a cargo plane getting ready to take supplies to Afghanistan and would drop them off at Tel Nof Air Base.

Gibbs always enjoyed flying cargo, the boys, not so much. Today, Tony was vibrating even without the plane's engines. Gibbs watched at McGee casually snagged his sleeve and kept him in place before pulling out his phone. By the time the plane was rolling down the runway, he'd gotten Tony interested in what was on the screen. By the time they reached cruising altitude, Tony's chin was resting on McGee's shoulder and they were both engrossed in what they were looking at.

Curious, Gibbs craned his neck far enough to look. Apparently before they'd left, McGee had downloaded at least one book on baby care and they were carefully reading it. He couldn't be sure, but it looked like the newest version of the book parents of his day swore by. Satisfied that McGee had the new father on track, Gibbs leaned back and closed his eyes and remembered his own introduction to fatherhood.

-NCIS-

It felt funny being in McGee's house without McGee, but Abby followed Ducky in as he unlocked the door. They wouldn't start working on it until tomorrow, but Ducky wanted to see what DiNozzo and McGee had gotten and what they'd be working with.

The guest room looked like a whirlwind had gone through it. Assorted suits were hung in the open closet, but the rest of Tony's clothes were piled up on the bed. "Guess we'll be moving the rest of Tony's stuff out of his place pretty soon, too."

"Presumably so, my dear, but we don't know exactly what arrangements Tony has made with the managers of his building. Our first priority will be the nursery, though it won't take long to short all this." Even as he was talking, Ducky moved further into the room and started folding clothes.

Abby joined him in the folding, but stopped Ducky from putting anything in the dresser. "Tony's got a real order to how he wants things." Ducky just looked back at the bed before raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, well, he was in a hurry. Let's just leave everything folded and stacked, then he can decide where everything goes when he gets back."

"Very well, we will do it that way." Ducky set a stack of neatly folded jeans on the dresser before he started matching and rolling pairs of socks.

It didn't take long before the guest bedroom met with Ducky's approval and they moved on to the nursery. They checked the bedroom closest to the guest room and found a stack of boxes, piles of bags, and several cans of paint. "I do believe we've found young Miss DiNozzo's new bedroom."

Abby giggled at Ducky and started checking things out, immediately falling in love with a soft, light green teddy bear. "So what's the plan for tomorrow, Duckman? Paint the walls and then assemble the furniture?"

One box contained the crib, ready to be assembled, another held a new dresser, mostly assembled but still requiring final touches after it was unpacked. A changing table dresser top unit would have to be assembled and attached, also. There was also a large chair, wrapped in plastic and cardboard, not to mention the mattress for the crib and assorted smaller boxes that held shelving and other various pieces.

Ducky shook his head. "We will have Mr. Palmer with us tomorrow, not to mention Agent Dorneget. What are the chances of getting all this unwrapped and assembled without either of them bumping into a freshly painted wall?"

That had Abby giggling again. "Good point, so what do you suggest?"

Ducky bent down to look at the paint cans. Each one was labeled in McGee's neat handwriting. "First, we paint the ceiling. Next, we deal with the furniture and then we can stack everything in the middle of the room and cover it all with plastic while we paint the walls. After it dries overnight, we can start moving everything into position."

It was a good plan. "Any idea what is supposed to go where?" Instead of answering, Ducky handed her the blueprint he found taped to the crib box. The location of every item was marked, right down to the inch.

"Oh, I believe we can figure it out."

-NCIS-

"Welcome to Israel, Agent DiNozzo – ah and of course, Agents Gibbs and McGee." Officer Ben-Gidion smiled and offered his hand. "As a favor to your Director, and in honor of Eli's memory, Director Ebtaz has assigned me as your liaison while you are here. We've reserved a suite at a nearby hotel, would you like to..."

"I'd like to see my daughter now please."

"Of course."

Gibbs took the front passenger seat, allowing DiNozzo to sit next to McGee in the back, using an occasional hand on his knee to keep DiNozzo calm as Ben-Gidion answered what questions he could.

"Are you telling me that you still don't know where Ziva is?"

"No, we've had no communications from her since your last visit."

"And you didn't think that was strange?"

"She had resigned from our agency, given up her citizenship. Once Eli was dead, there was nothing more to tie her to Mossad. We have had no reason to look for her."

"Uh huh." Tony made eye contact with Gibbs in the mirror. Neither one of them were fully convinced, but now wasn't the time or place. "What happened when the baby was born?"

"As I understand it, the baby was born in a small hospital in the northern region. They did not have the facilities for such a sick newborn and the baby was flown to a hospital in Tel Aviv."

"And Ziva, too?"

"I believe Ziva followed a few days later after she was released from that hospital."

"How long was the baby in the hospital in Tel Aviv?"

"I do not know for sure, only that it was a long hospitalization. Part of that may have been the fact that she had no parent to claim her."

"Ziva didn't go to see her at all?"

"No. According to the nurses, the only visitor was Nettie David, who eventually took her home."

"Did Ziva even see her at the first hospital?"

"I suspect not."

"Why in the hell not?"

For the first time, Ben-Gidion seemed to give his answer some thought. "Tali was in the marketplace the day of the bombing because Ziva was late in picking her up. She could not control Ari. Eli died after he went to her and she refused him. I believe Ziva could not face one more failure in her life."

"So she ran?"

"Yes, I believe that was the reason. Nettie always believed she would come to her senses and return, that's why she took the child in. Perhaps it would have been better all around if she had stayed out of it."

"Why?"

They were parked in front of a building. None of the three could read the sign, but there was a fenced play area to the side and a secure entrance. Shutting off the engine, Ben-Gidion turned to face Tony. "Nettie did what she thought was best, but her health was failing. She wasn't up to the task of caring for a newborn under the best of circumstances, let alone a newborn that needed intensive therapy and treatment."

"So, you're telling me that my daughter hasn't been getting the care she needs."

"I'm afraid not and I'm truly sorry about that."

The three agents looked at each other as they climbed out of the car. That was the first thing Ben-Gidion had been totally honest about.

-NCIS-

"Mr. DiNozzo, this is your daughter."

He'd been urged to sit down when the social worker went to get the baby and only the firm hand of Gibbs against his shoulder had kept him in his seat. However, when they place the bundle in his arms, he was glad he was sitting down. For a minute, he just looked, running his finger down the side of her face and onto her hand. She was so very tiny and frail looking. Her hair was dark and curly already, her eyes large, but not as dark as Ziva's – hazel, not dark brown – but the one thing he noticed more than anything was how much she looked like his late mother.

"Hey, sweetheart, I'm your daddy." Despite her tiny size, her eyes tracked to the sound of his voice and she stared at him, slowly blinking. "Hello there, what's your name, little lady?"

The social worker was still hovering nearby. "Her name is Eva Grace David."

"Well, Eva Grace DiNozzo, you're going to come home and live with me. What do you think of that?" She yawned and Tony glanced up at McGee, who was staring at her. "We're going to move in with Uncle Tim because he's got a nice big house. We're going to live with him for a long time because he's already told me that he's buying you a drum set when we leave."

That got a laugh from all the adults in the room, but Eva had found Tony's finger and grabbed it and he was transfixed.

Another worker at the group home came in, holding a bottle. "It's time for Eva's next meal. Would Daddy like to feed her?"

Tony nodded, then looked to Gibbs for help. Gibbs nudged his arm slightly, raising her head up just a tad, before the bottle was handed over. She sucked hard on the bottle, but seemed to need to stop quite often to take a breath. Conversations were going on around him, but Tony only paid partial attention to them. He did learn that his little girl was almost six months old, but because of her prematurity and the resulting disabilities, her development was closer to that of a newborn.

A cloth was laid on his shoulder as Gibbs tapped his arm. "Time to burp her." With the older man's help, she was moved to his shoulder and after a few pats to the back she gave a loud belch.

"Oh, yeah, she's a DiNozzo."

Tony laughed along with the rest of them, but soon he was watching as his little girl fell asleep in his arms.

-NCIS-

"Nope, two inches to the left."

Abby adjusted the shelf, but she had to ask. "I thought it looked fine where it was. Are you sure, Jimmy?"

Palmer just held up the plans McGee had left them. "Eighteen and three quarters of an inch to the right and four inches exactly lower than the top right corner of the window molding. It's McGee, he'll notice if we're off."

"I've seen construction blueprints that were less precise than this project."

With Dorney's help, Ducky was marking for another three shelves that were going up on another wall and shook his head with a smile. "My dear, I've seen surgeries that were less precise."

They all laughed, but every measurement was triple checked before anchors were sunk into the wall. Once the last of the shelves were hung, they all stood back and looked. It was beautiful, even Abby had to admit to that, and everything looked perfectly balanced, even if Abby moved the small table just a little further away from the chair before they placed the toys in their respective spots.

* * *

 **a/n - and now the story title makes sense. In case you didn't notice, the latest story on my gen profile was inspired by a few scenes of this story.**


	18. Chapter 18

The next two days passed in a blur. The hotel rooms they'd been given were mostly wasted. Tony remembered taking a couple of showers and changing his clothes, but he was mostly at the orphanage. Everything might have been second nature to Gibbs, but both Tony and Tim listened carefully as they were shown how to care for his little girl.

Tim was in and out, handing Tony papers to sign several different times, until the final full custody decree was in his hands. "I don't need to go see the judge?" He'd been envisioning hours in an Israeli courthouse.

"Nope, I took care of all of it."

Tony realized just how tired Tim looked. "Thanks, man, I owe you."

"Nah, you don't." Tim smiled and brushed his hand over Eva's head. "You two ready to go home?"

"Yeah, we are."

A flight approved car seat was ready for them, along with what clothing for Eva had been at Nettie's home. One of the nurses helped them load everything in the car before Ben-Gidion drove them back to the air base, explaining as she secured the car seat. "Now remember, Mr. DiNozzo, babies' ears are very sensitive to the pressure changes in an airplane so it's a good idea to feed her or let her suck on a pacifier during take-offs and landings."

Despite the warnings, Tony found that Eva was a pretty easy baby on the airplane, possibly because just eating seemed to exhaust her. "Ducky's getting us set up with a good baby doctor, right?"

Gibbs gave a nod. "He's interviewing them personally, said he'd have the list narrowed down to three or four by the time we get home. Whatever help she needs, we'll get it for her."

"Thanks, Boss." They'd taken a troop transport flight from Israel to Ramstein Air Force Base, and now they were on a military family transport flight that would take them to New York City. From there, they would only have one civilian flight for the short hop between New York City and DC. Tony wasn't sure exactly how McGee had managed it, but he was grateful. "I couldn't have done this on my own."

Gibbs patted him on the shoulder, looking past him to smile at Eva, then at Tim who was finally catching a nap. "You're never on your own, Tony. Just remember that and you and Eva will be fine."

-NCIS-

With only one checked bag carrying Eva's clothing and toys, getting out of the airport should have been relatively easy. Of course, that was when Eva decided that she'd had enough of traveling and sitting in her car seat. Tony paced, bouncing her gently, while Gibbs waited for the one suitcase and McGee was buried under three filled duffel bags. Just as the three men were ready to go out and hail a cab, a familiar voice called out.

"Timothy, Tony, there you are. Where is Jethro?" Ducky glanced around and saw Gibbs waiting at the baggage carousel, then turned his attention to the newest member of the family. "Now let me see our little lady."

Tony grinned as he turned Eva to face Ducky. "Say hello to Eva Grace DiNozzo."

"Oh, hello, my darling. Let me take a look at you." Ducky tenderly took her, nodding in approval as Tony carefully supported her head during the transfer. "Oh, you are such a wee little thing, but you'll catch up soon enough."

"You got her medical records, right?" Tony was pretty sure he'd heard Tim say that, but the details were fuzzy.

"Yes, and I have already set up an appointment with the top neonatologist in DC. Dr. Marissa Clark comes highly recommended. Every person I consulted had her on the top of their list."

Eva was starting to fuss again so Tony took her back. "Thanks, Ducky. I didn't even know that's what a baby doctor is called."

"Not just a baby doctor, Tony. A neonatologist specializes in premature and severely ill infants. She'll be the best at fully evaluating Eva and recommending the best course of action to give her the best chance at fully catching up with her peers."

"Will she, Ducky? The doctors at the orphanage seemed to think it was too late." He didn't know a lot, but Tony remembered reading about the milestones for her age and right now it seemed an almost impossible reach.

Ducky gave him a careful look and Tony knew to answer the upcoming words carefully. "If she doesn't, will you love her any less?"

"What? No, of course not." His arms instinctively tightened around her even more. "I just want her to have a good life."

"And she will." Ducky picked up the empty car seat as the four men started to walk out to the parking lot. "She will be loved and cared for and we will make sure she has every opportunity to grow healthier and stronger."

"Yeah, we will."

Once they reached the car, Eva wasn't particularly interested in getting back in her car seat, but Tony distracted her while Tim worked the straps and latches. Over the roof of the car, Ducky and Gibbs smiled at each other, but didn't comment.

Abby was waiting for them at the house, coat in hand. "I know you're tired, so I won't stay, but..." She was smiling, watching as Tony took his daughter out of the car seat for the last time of the journey.

"Would you like to hold your niece, Abby?"

Her eyes were wide and her coat hit the floor as she dropped into the nearest seat and held her arms out. Tony carefully transferred Eva over, smiling at the puzzled expression on her little face. "Here's somebody new, Eva."

"Hi, there, I'm your Aunt Abby. You don't have a mommy right now but Aunt Ellie and I will teach you all the girl stuff you'll need to know later on, okay?" Eva started to cry, but stopped as soon as Tony took her back, which made Abby pout a little. "She's a Daddy's girl already?"

Transferring her to Tim so that Tony could get the formula powder out of the suitcase didn't bring any tears, so Tony shook his head. "I think she's just a little too tired for new faces tonight."

Abby took the hint and retrieved her coat. "Yeah, all of you guys look tired. There's jambalaya in the refrigerator, mild like McGee likes it, and Jimmy dropped off a couple of dishes from Breena, too."

"Thanks, Abs."

Ducky and Abby said their good-byes and left. Tony got a bottle made up and they took Eva upstairs. Tim changed her diaper before handing her to Tony, who took her around the room. "See, Eva, this is your new bedroom. What do you think?"

Gibbs was leaning against the door jam, watching his boys. Tony was circling the room with Eva while Tim was subtly checking that the plans had been followed. He moved the small table a tiny bit toward the chair, but other than that he seemed happy with the results.

Eventually Tony sat in the plush rocker, setting the bottle on the table as they got settled. When they were comfortable, he gave her the bottle, feeding Eva her first meal in her new home. She managed about half the bottle before she fell asleep. A burping woke her enough to finish another half of what was left, her usual amount. They rocked for a few more minutes before Tony stood and carried her over to her crib and laid her down. As he had learned at the orphanage, he kept his hand on her tummy until she was completely asleep. Finally the three men crept out of the room and down the stairs.

Far enough away that they felt safe talking, Gibbs thumped Tony on the back. "Well, Daddy, you got her home."

Tony nodded, lips pressed together as he took a ragged breath. "God, don't let me screw this up."

Both Gibbs and McGee reached for him at the same time and they found themselves in a three way hug. Gibbs pulled them extra close. "We won't let that happen. I give you my word."

"Thanks, Boss."

Gibbs almost gave into the impulse to kiss them both on the tops of the head. "Okay, I'm going to find a store that's open all night and get more diapers and formula, then grab a few hours sleep. I'll see you about eight unless you need help earlier."

-NCIS-

"Sir?"

Vance nodded. It wasn't their usual routine, but he'd asked his security team to pick him up early. Now he was having them stop at a coffee shop rather than take him to the Yard for an early meeting. "DiNozzo, Gibbs and McGee arrived late last night with DiNozzo's daughter. We're going to drop off coffee and doughnuts before we go to the Yard."

His driver looked at the clock on the dashboard. It was just a few minutes after 0700. "Will they even be up yet, Sir?" That got a laugh from the Director.

"You don't have children yet, Donaldson, do you?"

"No, Sir."

"They'll be up."

Sure enough, two very bleary-eyed men were walking the floor with a very wide-awake little girl. "She's still on Israeli time, isn't she?"

"And you couldn't have been here to remind us of that last night when we put her to bed?" Tony was too out of it to realize he'd mouthed off to the Director and Tim was too busy homing in on the coffee. Vance just laughed and took Eva from DiNozzo. "Where's Grandpa?"

"Sleeping at his place. His shift starts at eight."

While the two men inhaled their coffee, Vance studied the little girl in his arms. Other than the riot of dark curls, he saw Tony in her features much more than Ziva. However, when he stopped swaying, he heard what she definitely got from her mother. Vance started moving again and she quickly settled down. "She likes to be moving, doesn't she?"

Tony stared blankly at him before slowly nodding. "Uh huh."

"I know Miss Sciuto is planning a baby shower for you, but if you'd like to sleep between now and then, get a baby swing now."

"Baby swing?" Vance knew they were both fried when McGee was on his third attempt to type 'baby swing' into the search bar on his phone. Vance took the phone away from him and shook his head at them. "That will be my gift, it'll be here as soon as the stores open." He was about to suggest that they call Gibbs to come back early when the back door opened.

"Morning boys, Leon." Gibbs was still wearing the markings of jet lag tired, but he looked positively perky in comparison to DiNozzo and McGee as he picked up the last cup in the cardboard holder. "What time did she wake up?"

Tony and Tim stared at each other as if Gibbs had asked them to figure out a graduate level calculus problem without a calculator or slide rule. "Umm, three?"

Tim frowned as he considered Tony's answer. "Yeah, I think so, cause I discovered that Jimmy and Dorney drank all my coffee when I went into the kitchen at three-thirty."

The mournful expressions on the two men made Vance chuckle, but Gibbs' eyes widened.

"It's gone? All of it?"

"Every capsule, Boss. I placed an order this morning, but it's second day delivery. One of us will have to drive up to Chevy Chase or out to Tyler's Corner if we want any sooner."

Gibbs looked ready to jump in his car, then he really looked at his boys. Vance handed Eva over to him and pulled out his own phone. "Agent Dorneget, I believe you and Dr. Palmer enjoyed coffee while you were at Agent McGee's house. Excellent, thank you, otherwise we will be dealing with a caffeine-less Gibbs this morning." The call ended and Vance couldn't quite contain his smile. "Miss Sciuto already had them picking up replacement coffee this morning. It should be here soon."

"Oh, thank God." McGee stared longingly into his now empty cup.

There was a fondness and amusement on Gibbs' face that Vance was still having trouble getting used to as he pointed the two men toward their respective bedrooms. "Go get some sleep. The coffee should be here by the time you wake back up." Obediently they walked past him to kiss Eva before Tony disappeared up the stairs and McGee wandered toward the back of the house. Vance finally laughed and shook his head.

"When they wake back up let them know that DiNozzo has another week of medical leave before he starts on paternity leave and as long as nothing big happens, you and McGee have two weeks of leave coming. If you want to spread it out further by working a few hours a day, I have no problem with that."

"Appreciate that, Leon."

"We're herding cats, Jethro. Baby swing will be here as soon as the stores open."

The slightly confused look on Gibbs' face was the icing on the cake.

-NCIS-

Abby stared at her phone, debating whether or not to call Tony and McGee. The lab doors opened and she quickly straightened up as the Director walked in.

"Director Vance, did we get a case?"

"I have a job for you, Miss Sciuto." He handed her computer print-out with the logo of a major baby supply store on the top. "Would you pick this up and deliver it to our new father? I think it could be of use right now."

"Oh? OH!" Squealing, she hugged him before running out the door. Delivering something for the baby was loads better than a phone call.

-NCIS-

Gibbs wasn't all that surprised when he saw Mrs. Olson carefully walking up the driveway. After all, she'd been the one to unlock the house for the rest of the team to prepare the nursery. Not wanting the boys to wake up, he met her at the door before she could ring the bell. "Morning."

She had a plate of cookies, which she set down on the table just inside the door. "Oh, Jethro, it is true. Let me take a look at her. Oh, she's so beautiful, and did I hear right? That Tony is moving in here with her?"

"Yeah, his building is an adult only building so Tim made the offer. I think it'll work."

"Oh, absolutely, and they'll have you right across the back yard for help."

"That's what family does." It felt so good to say that and Gibbs was still smiling as he walked Mrs. Olson out. He had Eva tucked up against him, wrapped in her blanket as he stood on the porch and watched her return home. On the other side of the house George was out getting his paper and saw Gibbs standing there with her.

George didn't wait for an invitation, just came over. "Tim's a father?"

"No, this is Tony's little girl. He just got custody, so he's moving in here so Tim and I can help out."

"Newborn?"

Gibbs shook his head. A lot of people were going to be assuming that for a while. "No, but she was a preemie so she's got some catching up to do."

The wind picked up a little and George stepped back off the porch. "Well, you'd best get her back inside. Tell Tony I said congratulations."

She was starting to fuss and Gibbs realized that he'd stopped moving. "I will, George. Thanks."

A bottle, a clean diaper and twenty laps around the living room, and Gibbs saw a familiar roadster pull into the driveway. Abby climbed out, balancing a large box and a cup of coffee.

"Hey, Gibbs. Jimmy went to one store for those coffee capsules, Dorney went to the other and they're both on their way here now. This should hold you over until they get here." She handed over the cup, then narrowed her eyes. "Wait a minute, why didn't you have coffee from home? Oh, I knew it. You're hooked on McGee's fancy new machine."

He gave her a little tilt of the head. "That makes pretty tasty coffee and before you say anything, that machine uses aluminum capsules so they get recycled."

"Yeah, I know. Jimmy was telling me all about it. He's been trying to get Breena interested enough to buy one, too. Can I – can I hold her?"

Abby sat down and Gibbs transferred Eva over to her. She fussed again, but this time Abby started rocking side to side and Eva settled down. Staying close, Gibbs got to work assembling the swing. He was just finishing when another car pulled into the driveway.

"It's been like grand central station here this morning. That better be one of those yahoos with the coffee. I can't believe they went through an entire month's worth in just a couple of days." As he spoke, another car pulled in.

That got Abby giggling. "I can. I saw them buzzing around here like a couple of wasps. Then Ducky even got Jimmy to reorganize the entire supply room in one day and Dorney did the entire evidence lock-up for me."

Gibbs gave a snort at that image. "That usually takes the better part of a week. No wonder Vance could justify giving us extra leave time." Seeing the shocked look on their faces when he paid and thanked them for the coffee deliveries made it even better.

-NCIS-

It took Tony a minute to remember why he was waking up at McGee's house instead of his apartment, then it hit him and he stumbled out of bed in a panic. He was half way out the door before he remembered that Gibbs was there and taking the early morning shift. Well, early to them after a long international flight. The downside of having a baby that was so good at sleeping on the flight home was that she'd only slept for an hour in her own crib before she was done with that.

Going downstairs, he followed the sound and found Eva happily swinging in their gift from Vance while Gibbs made funny faces at her. Not wanting to disturb them, he detoured into the kitchen, where a new stack of coffee capsules were waiting for them. By the time his coffee was made, Gibbs and Eva were joining him in the kitchen.

"You look a little better."

"Starting to feel human again." He took Eva from Gibbs and tickled her feet for a second. "We got to get you changed around so that your big sleep is during the night, not the middle of the day. Uncle Timmy needs his beauty sleep."

"And you don't?" Still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, McGee wandered out of his bedroom and went straight for the coffee. He started counting the boxes while the machine made his cup of coffee. "When the order comes in, we're going to be knee deep in capsules."

Gibbs was preparing another bottle. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"True. Remind me to pay Jimmy or Dorney for these."

"Don't worry about it, I took care of it. Hell, I drink as much of it as the two of you do, I should be paying for half. Might as well start now." He handed the bottle to Tim, ending the discussion.

-NCIS-

Finally done with her last session at FLETC, Ellie was glad to be arriving home. Gibbs had wanted her full time on the team right from day one while legal and HR had been demanding that she go through the entire course before she was issued a badge. The compromise had been several short sessions concentrating on the major differences between her job with the NSA and her new position as a field agent. Unfortunately scheduling had been an issue and it had taken way too long to complete each session. Now, almost a year after her first meeting with Gibbs, she was through with the official training and could just concentrate on what the rest of the team was teaching her – but first she had a stop to make.

It was late when she arrived at the McGee-DiNozzo household, but there were lights on at the back of the house when she softly knocked on the door. Eventually the door opened and she hugged Tony. "I know it's late and she's asleep, but can I see her? I won't wake her up, I promise."

"Yeah, sure. Come on up." He set down an empty baby bottle, so apparently the baby hadn't been asleep for too long.

She followed him upstairs, automatically following his exact footsteps in case the floor squeaked. Arriving in an adorable pink and black bedroom she had to smile at the sight of Tim slouched down in a chair with a baby draped over his chest.

"Hey, welcome back."

Matching his whisper, she thanked him, but her attention was on Tony's daughter. She was much smaller that Ellie had been expecting and there was a frailty about her, but then she was the first premature baby Ellie had ever seen in person.

Ellie moved closer and dropped down onto her knees to take a better look. Her hair was dark and curly, reminding her of the pictures she'd seen of Ziva. She couldn't see the baby's eyes, but considering how dark her mother's eyes were, she suspected that they were already darker than the typical baby's.

Tony bent closer to introduce her. "Ellie, I'd like you to meet Eva Grace."

"Oh, Tony, she's beautiful."

Judging from the grin, he totally agreed with her. "And already has Uncle Tim wrapped around her little finger."

"Not to mention Grandpa."

"True." Tony brushed his hand lightly over her head, just enough to smooth her curls, but she didn't wake. "Looks like she's ready to move to her bed."

"Yep."

Tony carefully slid his hands under Eva and lifted her off of Tim, then swayed as he walked over to the crib. She moved around a bit after he laid her down and both men held their breath, but she settled back down on her own. Tony watched her for a few more minutes before stepping back and waving at the other two to follow him.

Once they were downstairs, Ellie gave in and gave a little squeal as she hugged him again. "Oh, my God, she is so beautiful, Tony. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, Ellie. It's all been pretty amazing. A couple of weeks ago I would have told anyone that I didn't want kids, was actually pretty scared of just being around them, and now – now, man, I can't imagine my life without her already."

Both Tony and Tim looked tired and Ellie remembered when her oldest brother and his wife had their first baby. When the baby slept, so did the parents. "She's a lucky little girl and now I'm going to get out of here and let you guys get some sleep." Ellie hugged Tim next, twisting to avoid the wet spot on his shirt.

Tim looked down and shrugged. "That high up it's drool, not pee."

For some reason that got Tony laughing, but Ellie decided some things she really didn't need to know.


	19. Chapter 19

Sitting in Dr. Clark's waiting room, Tony watched the other parents. The babies in the room were of varying ages he thought, but knowing how much of an impact prematurity could have on the development of a baby, he was hard pressed to guess any of their ages. What he did notice was that most of them seemed to have more physical control that Eva did, all except for one little boy and Tony listened carefully as his mother explained how they'd just become his medical foster parents.

It was all very depressing and worrisome, but when Tony looked over at Tim, he was reviewing a page of questions he'd prepared for the doctor. When Tim looked up and saw Tony watching him, he tried to hand it over. Tony shook his head. "You're coming in with me. I want a second set of ears listening to everything she tells me."

Tim smiled as if he'd been given the highest honor possible. "No problem."

"Eva DiNozzo?"

They both jumped when a nurse appeared and called out for them and it took them a few seconds to gather up the car seat and the diaper bag before they followed her back to the examining room.

The nurse expertly stripped Eva down and weighed her before quickly getting the diaper back on her. While she was measuring Eva, Tony leaned closer to Tim. "How long before we're that good at changing diapers?"

"Don't worry, Mr. DiNozzo, you'll be an expert in no time." Smiling the nurse finished up and handed Eva back to her father. "The doctor will be with you in a few minutes, so don't bother with her clothes."

True to her word, the nurse returned a few minutes later with another woman and Tony carefully studied her. She was short and made no attempt to hide the gray streaks in her hair, but her presence was very calm. While her nurse was poised to take notes, Dr. Clark sat down across from Tony.

"I understand that we have a bit of a mystery with this little lady."

"Yeah." Tony sighed as he admitted that McGee's searches had turned up very little. "We haven't found any indication that her mother had any medical care while she was pregnant. We know that she gave birth in a small, under-equipped hospital. The baby was flown to a larger hospital because she was very sick and very premature."

"Do you know her gestational age?" When Tony just looked at her blankly, she clarified. "How far along was the pregnancy?"

"We don't know that either." Tony turned to Tim for more information.

"As best that our sources were able to tell us, Eva was born about six months after the last time Tony had seen her mother."

Dr. Clark was making notes of her own as she return her attention to Tony. "What's the time frame that she could have become pregnant?"

"Couple of months, I guess." Tony shook his head. "I hate to think that she already knew that she was pregnant when she broke it off, but I have no idea. You got the medical records, right?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, they don't appear to be what I would consider complete and what I do have is all in Hebrew. A colleague is helping with the translation, but it's a slow go."

Tim spoke up again. "We know that her mother never saw her at the second hospital and we have no idea if she ever talked to the doctors there."

Nodding at that, Dr. Clark took Eva and started examining her. Tony watched closely, trying to interpret every click of the tongue and every expression on the older woman's face. Finally she spoke, but to her nurse first, not to Tony.

"Would you let the lab know we need a draw? Both blood and urine." That done, she turned to Tony. "Since we're playing catch-up anyway, I want to do a full work-up before we make any kind of a diagnosis."

Biting his lip, Tony looked over at McGee with his list and Tim took over for the moment. "You suspect something beyond just being born early."

When she didn't argue, they both knew that Ducky had probably prepared her for the questions and the stubbornness. "There's a very good chance of that, yes. Some of the possibilities can't be tested for, but by eliminating other possibilities, we'll have a better idea. I am also hearing a heart murmur."

Tony felt his hands turn icy as the breath caught in his chest. "Oh, God."

She held a hand up before he could say anything else. "It's very common in premature infants. There isn't time for the heart to finish developing. There are medications we can give to help close the hole, and time will also help. As a last resort, it can be repaired surgically. For now, we need to determine exactly how large it is and exactly where it is. Then we'll know what our best options are. For today, we're going to do the blood tests and a urine test. If those come back clear, then we'll get her scheduled for an MRI and a cardiac ultrasound. I'm also going to write up a referral to a physical therapist. No matter what we discover is the actual cause of her motor deficits, we need to start working to correct them."

Tim was glancing down at his notes again. Tony could tell he was debating what to ask so Tony did the asking.

"Worst case scenario, what are we looking at?"

Dr. Clark shook her head. "We don't do that because it's not that cut and dried. Let's get the tests and evaluations done first, then we'll have a better idea."

The nurse returned with someone from the lab. The lab technician was a young woman, but she smiled at Eva and seemed very confident as she removed Eva's diaper. "Diaper is still dry. Hopefully that means this little sweetie will be ready to pee pretty soon."

Tony wasn't sure exactly how they expected to collect a sample. It wasn't like they could give her a cup and send her into the bathroom. He watched as the technician and the nurse carefully cleaned Eva before attaching what looked like a small bag to the skin around her privates. The nurse then held Eva while the technician changed her gloves and prepared for the blood draw, explaining what would happen next. "Just like us big people, babies hate to have their blood taken. Usually by the time we're done with that, we've got a nice big urine sample in the bag, ready to be tested, too."

Sure enough, Eva shrieked when the needle punctured her skin and by the time they had enough blood for all their tests, they also had a urine sample. The nurse quickly and efficiently removed the bag and replaced the diaper before handing her back to Tony.

Under the best of circumstances Tony hated needles and watching that had been far worse than ever being on the receiving end. He held Eva close and rocked her, relaxing when he felt Tim's hand press against his back. He heard the doctor say something to Tim, but his focus was on Eva. When she finally calmed down he realized that the family was alone in the exam room.

-NCIS-

As much as it hurt to see Eva cry, Tim had to smile at Tony and wonder if Ziva had any idea what a loving, caring father he turned out to be. Gently he rubbed Tony's back as they both calmed down. Eva was taking some deep, shuddering breaths as Tony finally straightened up and looked surprised that the three of them were alone. "We're done for today. After those test results come in, Dr. Clark will schedule the rest of the tests, along with a vision screening, then they'll schedule her next appointment. For now, they want us to change her formula."

"Why?"

"It's a prescription formula, a lot higher in some of the nutrients and proteins that she needs for a boost right now. Thicker, too, that's supposed to help her get more of it to stay down."

"Damn, you should have kicked me to pay more attention."

Tim wasn't going to have Tony feeling guilty or questioning his parenting. "Getting Eva calmed down was more important. Besides, isn't that why you wanted me to come in with you?"

"Yeah, you're right."

He got the smile that always made him feel like a million bucks. "Let's go home. We can stop on the way for her new formula."

-NCIS-

"Damn, that isn't really any thicker, is it?" Tony picked up the tub of powder and read the label as Tim mixed up the first bottle.

Tim was carefully mixing, making sure there were no lumps. "Supposedly, it thickens when it comes into contact with the stomach acid so she'll spit less of it back up."

"Be nice if it works." Neither man was experienced enough to know how much spitting up was considered normal but Dr. Clark had been concerned when they'd answered her questions.

Tony sat with Eva at the table in the breakfast nook, repeatedly glancing up at McGee as Eva ate. Tim had a pretty good idea what was going through his head, but waited for Tony to start the conversation.

"You've been researching, right?"

"Yeah."

"I get what she said about not doing worst case scenarios, but it was pretty obvious she's got some sort of idea what's wrong with Eva."

"Tony..." He got why Dr. Clark was being evasive, too, and what he'd learned made it even worse to hold back. However, he wasn't sure if it was his place to say anything.

"I'd rather go into this expecting the worst and be pleasantly surprised than to get blindsided, McGee. Use that biomedical degree of yours. What are they testing her for?"

Tim closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before starting to talk. "From what I've been able to figure out, I think that what they suspect is something that can't actually be tested for. So, they test for everything else that could possibly have similar symptoms. They get their diagnosis by eliminating everything else and waiting a few years."

"Years? I don't want this hanging over our heads for years. I want to know what kind of a life she's facing."

"As best as I can figure..."

"Yeah?"

"Okay, sometimes a baby can be deprived of oxygen during delivery or something can cause a brain bleed. Most of the time they don't even know what triggers it, just that it's a lot more common in premature babies, probably because their bodies weren't ready to be born."

"Brain damage?"

He could see the fear in Tony's eyes. "Sort of. See, the nearest I can figure is that because babies' brains are still developing, the damage isn't always so cut and dried. That's why they don't diagnosis something like cerebral palsy until they're a couple of years old and they can figure out if it's just a developmental delay or something more permanent. Either way, the treatment and therapy is the same. We want to get the synapses firing and making more and newer connections."

"And bypass the damage?"

They'd really simplified the discussion and Tim shrugged. "Pretty much."

Eva was ready to burp so Tony stood and started pacing as he patted her back. "Damn it, Ziva. What in the hell was so important that you couldn't put having a healthy baby first."

"We don't know that was the cause."

"Maybe not, but it certainly didn't help."

-NCIS-

Wearing a designer dress that cost more than a year's salary at either Mossad or NCIS, the beautiful brunette flipped through the magazines at the stand, speaking to the man next to her without ever looking at him.

"I'm in. Starting tomorrow night, I will be living at his house and acting as his hostess when he entertains Prince Nusair."

"Be careful, don't get in to deep."

"It will be worth it."

-NCIS-

"You sure you want to hire a moving company, DiNozzo? That's a hell of an expense when we can get the gang together and do it ourselves."

Tony appreciated the offer, he really did, but Gibbs had never dealt with a condo association before. Nor had he ever tried to move a full sized grand piano. "Sorry, Boss, but the condo rules require a professional moving company with full liability insurance."

"Even for the small stuff?"

"Less than a hundred dollars difference between them moving everything and just the furniture and for a hundred dollars, I'm perfectly happy to let them box up and lug all those albums and movies."

Apparently Gibbs couldn't argue with that as he looked around. "Realtor okay with you emptying the place while it's on the market?"

Tony hadn't told Gibbs the reason they were stopping by his old place. "She's on her way with an offer right now."

"Already? You just put it up on the market a couple of days ago."

"Haven't you heard? The real estate market is heating up. Two days on the market and apparently I've got a full price offer on the place. Can't argue with that. Don't have a ton of equity in the place, but it'll give me a nice cushion with Eva's medical bills." He'd been dancing around that subject since that first appointment, but this was the first time he'd said that out loud so Gibbs was surprised.

"Have you talked to HR? Medical insurance should -"

"Don't get me wrong, insurance is covering a lot, but some of the therapies are still considered experimental so they're not covered. It's just nice to be able to decide by what's best for her instead of what's covered or what I can afford."

Gibbs had a serious look on his face as he caught Tony's arm. "If you need more help, all you have to do is ask. You know that, right?"

"Thanks, Boss, but I'm okay. As soon as I'm out from under my mortgage, Eva will really be my only expense. After that first appointment and we heard what she was facing, McGee won't even take money to help with the utilities."

A knock on the door brought an end to the conversation.

"Boss, this is Amanda Jackson. She -"

"Was McGee's realtor, too. I remember."

She smiled and shook his hand. "I remember you, too, Agent Gibbs. In fact, that job offer is still open if you ever want it."

Tony was wondering what job offer she was talking about, but Gibbs just grinned and shook his head. "Sorry, I gotta keep these two on the right track, but I'll pass your card on to a friend that might be in the market pretty soon."

A business card was immediately presented. "I'll be waiting for them." She turned serious and sat down with Tony to review the offer. Most of it he'd heard over the phone but it was still nice to see it in writing. Almost a dozen signatures later and he was technically homeless, but Tony discovered that he really didn't mind. "Is that it?"

"For now. The final transfer papers will be ready at the end of the week. If you'd like, I can drop by Agent McGee's house on Friday morning for the final signatures."

"That would be great. Thanks." He figured she probably wanted to see what Tim had done with the old house. She's be pleasantly surprised, that he was sure of.

-NCIS-

"Okay, living room or family room?"

Tony was meeting the movers at his old place in less than three hours, so a decision had to be made. Everything else had an assigned home already, but they'd been working around the big grand piano. They'd talked, they'd debated, they'd even worn out the battery in McGee's fancy measuring laser and had narrowed it down to the corner in the family room, where it would partially block the double French doors to the back porch, or the corner of the living room where it would crowd the rest of the furniture. He turned to McGee, who was waiting for an answer. "What if I sold it?"

"What? Tony, no, you love that thing."

"No, I don't." Tony thought for a moment how to describe his relationship with it. "Okay, I enjoy plinking around on it when I'm stressed and want to unwind, but the whole, big 'have a grand piano' was really more for the image. You know, the sophisticated, swinging man about town. Now, I'm the single dad that'll probably be wearing black socks and sandals before you know it."

Apparently the image of Tony DiNozzo wearing socks and sandals and probably driving a wood-grained minivan was too much for Tim because he laughed until he had tears in his eyes. Gibbs wasn't laughing, but the side of his face did twitch as he turned away.

Gaining control of himself, Tim tried to make him feel better. "No, you'll be the sophisticated single dad that has all the divorced moms chasing after him."

As he spoke Tim stopped laughing, but before Tony could figure out why Gibbs made a suggestion of his own.

"What about trading it in for an upright? They take a whole lot less room." They were both staring at him and Gibbs shrugged. "What?"

"You know? That would actually work." Brilliant was more like it. An upright would fit in either room without a problem, which meant that they'd still have to make a decision, but that could wait. Tony glanced at his watch. Eva would be waking up in a few minutes, but they'd have time if they hurried. "If we leave pretty soon, we can stop and talk to the place I bought it from."

"Good idea. We'll take two cars, then when we're done there, McGee and I can come home with Eva while you go handle the movers."

Tony had been expecting the 'we' to be he and McGee, but if the Boss wanted to go with them, who was he to argue? "Sure thing."

-NCIS-

Tim wasn't at all surprised that the owner of the piano shop remembered Tony. He always considered his friend unforgettable. Gibbs looked bored already and Eva was getting restless so Tim took the little girl and started walking around with her. Eva loved movement and now that she had her new glasses she could see further away, so she settled down as he circled the store. The McGee family had never had a piano when Tim was growing up, the Admiral considering it a waste of time for his son to learn anything as frivolous. He'd never played, never even touched the keys on one, but the beauty of them certainly caught his eye. The consignment section of the store was filled with dozens of pianos, each different from the next. He recognized the oak wood in one, and was pretty sure the one next to it was mahogany. Ebony was easy to spot, then Tim turned the corner.

Tall and whitewashed, with ornate curved legs and plenty of detail, the one piano stood out surrounded by traditional dark stained wood. It was perfect, but the decision wasn't his. "Hey, Tony?"

"Yeah? What did you find?" Tony had to zig-zag through the various instruments, finally turning the same corner that Tim had a moment ago, Gibbs at his heels. Tim knew by his expression that they were on the same page even before Tony said anything. "Living room."

"On the wall you look at when you first step into the living room."

"Between the window and the corner."

They both turned to the store owner, who had followed Gibbs, speaking in unison. "We'll take it."

The owner was surprised, Gibbs wasn't. Tony ran his fingers down the keys, listening, before he nodded and signed for the exchange. Twenty minutes later, Tony was on his way to his old condo in the Prius while Gibbs was watching Tim secure the car seat in the Challenger.

Honestly, Tim was a little nervous. He didn't know even why Gibbs felt he needed to be here and he didn't know why the older man was giving him such a serious look now that they were in the car. Instead of driving out of the parking lot, Gibbs turned to look at McGee.

"Boss?"

"I'm proud of you, McGee."

Tim felt his ears go hot and knew they were turning bright red. "Boss?"

"I want you to promise me something."

"Umm, okay." He'd always told himself that someday he'd understand Gibbs. Today was not that day.

"Raising a kid is expensive under normal circumstances. Tony told me that you're not expecting him to help much with any of the living expenses for the three of you so he can concentrate on Eva's needs."

"Well, yeah, she's already had enough of a delay in therapy, this next year is critical so that comes first."

Tim was sitting in the back seat with Eva so Gibbs had to stretch. Tim leaned forward, thinking he was going to get a slap to the back of head, but the touch was much gentler. "If things get tight, promise that you'll tell me, that you'll let me help."

-NCIS-

"She is Mossad, you know. Eli David's only surviving child."

"Oh, I know."

"What are you going to do?"

He laughed before finishing his drink, the large diamonds on his fingers twinkling in the bright desert light. "Oh, don't worry, Emil, I have a plan."

"Can you really use her to get inside Mossad?"

"Either that or destroy her. I truly don't care which." He raised his glass. "One way or another, I will have the last laugh, Eli."


	20. Chapter 20

"Do we know how many people are coming? I don't think I have enough food, maybe I should make up some more salad."

Tim was moving pretty fast, but Gibbs managed to corner him in the kitchen before he emptied out the refrigerator. "It's handled, Tim. You did up all the wings Abby brought over, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then the rest is taken care of. Go sit down and take a load off." Tim didn't look totally convinced but he did nod before cutting through the dining room on his way to the living room. Gibbs watched as he fussed with the table decorations for a minute, but even McGee couldn't find anything to neaten up. Gibbs had to hand it to Abby, Breena and Ellie, they'd manage to decorate the dining room in pink for the baby shower without distracting from the strong and striking design of the house. Even as the thought crossed his head, Gibbs gave a snort. If he wasn't careful, Tim would have him decorating his own place soon and that was something that three ex-wives had never managed to do.

They'd barely sat down in the living room before the three women arrived with cars filled with food and balloons. After handing over the platters of chicken wings, Tim fled to the basement, Gibbs right on his heels. "See, I told you it was handled."

"Yeah." Tim sat in one of the recliners that made up the gaming and movie section of the basement's man cave. The three men had worked off and on since McGee's break-up with Delilah, but the work had ground to a halt when they'd been told about the baby. Now the center of the room that should have eventually held a pool table was filled with the supplies they needed for Eva's therapy.

Tony looked up as he carefully straightened and flexed Eva's legs. "Are people arriving already?

"Nah, just the girls. Having them banging around in McGee's kitchen has got him a little spooked." A muffled crash from upstairs confirmed his point as McGee jumped. Gibbs pressed a hand against his shoulder to keep him down in the chair. "I'll take care of it." He gave a meaningful glance to Tony, who nodded and was already climbing to his feet. As Gibbs headed up the stairs, the last view he had was of Tony handing Eva to Tim.

-NCIS-

"Here you go, sweetheart, Daddy's done torturing you so it's time for cuddles with Uncle Tim." Today's exercises hadn't been that bad, but the comment got a smile out of McGee as he took Eva and held her against his chest.

"Hey there, Eva." Tim visibly relaxed when she was in his arms and he automatically started rocking from side to side. She was content like that but she was sucking on her fingers, so they knew it wouldn't last too long.

"You want to take her upstairs and I'll bring a bottle up with me?"

Tim rocked for a minute longer before he sighed. "Yeah, sure. I'm going to miss this when she grows up."

-NCIS-

For the first time, Tony was completely alone with his daughter for the entire day. He was still on paternity leave, but Gibbs and McGee had both gone back to the office today. Gibbs left first, at his normal time, after dropping truck keys off for McGee. Tim had gone in at 0900 after taking the morning feeding so Tony could get a shower and eat a hot breakfast. A row of filled bottles were in the fridge and two loads of Eva's clothes were washed and folded, stacked up on the table in the laundry room, allowing him to just focus on her. Either Abby or Jimmy (and Ducky) would drop by sometime around lunch, depending on the workload, and, barring a call-out, Gibbs would be done about 1500 while McGee would work until 1800. It was a schedule designed to give him both time alone with Eva and plenty of support.

Tim had driven Gibbs' truck to work this morning, leaving Tony the Prius so he wouldn't be stranded. He thought about going to the store, but decided a day of cuddling and playing with his little girl sounded so much better. Diaper changed and fresh sleeper on, he carried her downstairs and put her in her swing before beginning her sensory stimulation exercises. Outpatient therapy should have started the day she left the hospital, so they were playing catch-up. Eva hadn't liked the exercises at first, then they discovered the swing was calming enough that she wouldn't get overwhelmed. Tomorrow he'd be taking her to the physical therapist that specialized in treating babies with low muscle tone.

-NCIS-

"Where's the spaceship?"

"What?" Tim stopped mid-bite and stared at Tony, trying to figure out what he was asking.

"Halloween's coming up. Where's the big crashed spaceship you had in the yard last year?"

Ah, now the conversation was starting to make sense. "I sold it."

"You sold it?" Tony's arms were flapping around as he stared at Tim. "Why? It was perfect. Everybody loved it."

Tim gave a shrug, hoping he could explain it enough. "Okay, first, I don't want to be the guy that just throws the same decorations out there every year. Second, it would have been a pain to store."

"Yeah, you do have a point there. That sucker was big, but it was really cool."

"Cool enough that some guy from Georgetown heard about it and offered me five grand for it."

That made Tony blink. "Five? He paid you five thousand dollars for that? You didn't even spend a hundred on the whole thing."

"Exactly."

"But everybody is going to be expecting you to do something big and cool again this year. So, what are you going to do?"

"Spiders and spiderwebs."

"That's not big and fancy, McGee. Wait, is it?"

"Depends on the size of the spiders and how much of the house is covered in cobwebs." He paused for a moment and grinned. "The dinner plate sized, motion activated spiders that will drop down out of the tree when people walk up to the house should be a nice touch, too."

"Now you're talking."

-NCIS-

"It's getting nippy out there, good soup weather." Returning from the physical therapist, Tony carefully threaded Eva's arms out of her heavy coat.

"You know anything about making soup from scratch? Because I sure don't."

McGee was getting pretty handy with his grill, while Tony could throw together almost any kind of pasta dish, but he was right in that they'd never tried their hand at homemade soup. "My grandmother made the best minestrone. I could eat my weight in that when I was a kid."

"Don't suppose you inherited the recipe?"

"Nope, but maybe I can figure it out."

"Sounds good, but for tonight it's spider making and pizza."

Tony bent down to rub his nose against Eva's. "Uncle Timmy knows how to show us a good time, doesn't he?"

-NCIS-

"Dad, we're just going to a couple of the houses in the neighborhood, you don't have to go with us."

Vance didn't want to give too much away. He'd heard about the elaborate alien space craft that 'crash landed' on McGee's property last year, but this year he was determined to see for himself what the geek had come up with. Unfortunately, to do it right, he had to have a few kids to add to the mix.

"Oh, come on Jared, it'll be fun. Besides, you and Tyler will get to do that neighborhood, too."

Kayla looked less than pleased to be stuck trick-or-treating with her brother and his friend. "Fine, but I am not dressing up."

"That's fine." Vance raised his voice enough to be heard by all three of them. "We're leaving in thirty minutes."

About an hour later Vance parked across the street from McGee's house as all four of them stared.

"Wow."

Vance gave a slow nod. "Yeah, wow is right." When Gibbs had said something about spiderwebs, Vance had been envisioning a small bag of the fake spiderwebs, but this looked closer to a truckload. From the chimney, down the roof, across to various bushes and trees and down to the ground, heavy cobwebs covered the house. Spotlights were strategically placed to make them absolutely glow and to show the massive spiders around the place. He wasn't sure what they were made of, but the bodies of most of those spiders were at least several feet across and a few were even bigger.

"Okay, this was worth the drive, Mr. Vance."

"Glad you approve, Tyler. Should we go knock on the door?" It was kind of amusing how close to him the teens were staying. He didn't have to worry about them wandering off tonight. Stepping on his feet was a real possibility, however.

There was one old, gnarly tree in the front yard, beautiful in a spooky way, especially tonight. The path to the front door actually went under the tree and as they came closer several large spiders dropped down almost onto their heads. By the time they got untangled from each other, the front door was open and Gibbs was standing there with a huge grin on his face. "Did I hear four screams?"

"Shut up, Gibbs."

-NCIS-

"What's that?" Tony was used to McGee's little quirks, but today he had a book, a large plastic container that reminded him of a bucket – except it had a lid, and a twisted piece of wire on a wooden handle. Even for their house, that was a little weird.

Tim turned the book so Tony could see the picture on the cover, a rather tasty looking picture of a loaf of bread. "You're going to try to duplicate your grandmother's minestrone recipe today, right?"

"Yeah?"

"I saw a video of making bread without kneading the dough, thought it would be a good day to try it."

It was cold and rainy today. Some fresh, homemade bread along with Nana's soup actually sounded pretty good. "Cool."

Now that she had glasses that meant she could see more than a foot in front of her, Eva loved to watch her daddy and her uncle work together in the kitchen. According to one of the therapists, the more she tracked movement, the more synapses were connecting in her brain so they tried to make their movements big for her. It made for an interesting dance in the kitchen. Tony was assembling various ingredients in a large pot he'd bought just for this, while Tim was weighing and adding flour, yeast and other ingredients into his large plastic container and stirring it all together with the twisted wire on the wooden handle.

"Just what is that thing?"

"It's a Danish wire whisk."

"And it works?"

"Surprisingly well, actually." Finished with his stirring and mixing, he loosely put the lid on the container and washed off the whisk.

"Now what?"

"Just let it sit and do its thing."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

-NCIS-

Two hours later the dough had almost tripled in size and Tony took a break from the soup to watch Tim scoop up a large handful and shape it into a ball. The pizza stone was already in the oven and hot so after a short rest and a few slashes with a knife, the bread was slipped into the oven and a pan of boiling water was placed on the lower rack.

With nothing else to do with the bread at the moment, they turned their attention back to the soup. Tony took a taste, then held the spoon out to Tim. "I'm thinking a little more oregano, what do you think?"

Tim took a taste and after a moment, nodded. "Definitely more oregano. Maybe more of all the spices. Won't the cheese blunt the taste?"

"You sure it won't be too spicy for you?"

"Nah, none of those spices are hot. Season it like you remember your grandma making it."

With that, Tony added more of the rosemary and basil along with the oregano and after it simmered for another half hour, they tasted it again.

"I don't know if it tastes like what your grandmother used to make, but I really like it."

"Yeah, me too." Pleased with himself, Tony chopped up the spinach that would go in at the last minute, right before the Parmesan cheese.

As Tony chopped, Tim took the bread out of the oven. It was a little lopsided, but a beautiful golden brown.

With everything basically done and the bread cooling, Tony took Eva upstairs for a fresh diaper and sleeper while Tim got a bottle ready for her. Twenty minutes later they were all back in the kitchen staring at the cooling bread.

"Can we cut it yet?"

"It's still pretty hot. We'd probably have to tear it."

One handed, Tony tossed the spinach in the soup and stirred it, cuddling Eva with his other arm. "Tearing works."

Tim did just that and then tore the chunk again, popping one piece in his mouth and one in Tony's mouth. "What do you think?"

A slow smile spread on Tony's face. "Oh, yeah, that is so good. Okay, final version of the soup." He fed Tim a spoonful of the minestrone. "Well?"

"Oh, yeah, Grandma would be so proud."

They were practically dancing around with each other and with Eva when Gibbs walked in. "Do I want to know?"

Eva went from Tony to Tim. He had the bottle and Tony needed both hands to dish up the soup. "Probably not, but are you ready to eat?"

"I could eat."

"Good, because I have recreated Nana's old world minestrone and Tim has baked a loaf of bread from scratch."

That made Gibbs blink. ""Wow, really? Okay, let's eat."

-NCIS-

"Well?"

A thick file was laid on his desk. "As you requested, a complete and detailed dossier on Ziva David. I think you'll find some things in there very interesting, along with some familiar names."

"Really?" He skimmed through the pages, pausing on one particular notation. "Yes, that is quite interesting. I believe I can use this, Emil, very much so. Well done."

"Thank you, sir. How soon before we can make our move?"

"Patience, Emil, the right moment will reveal itself. Until then we will be patient."

-NCIS-

It was a late night but they'd managed to close the case. Tim was sitting in the over-sized chair in the family room, enjoying the fire when Tony came down from putting Eva to bed. "She go down?"

Tony practically fell onto the sofa across from Tim. "Yeah, finally." He leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling, a sure sign of Tony really giving something serious thought, so Tim waited.

Eventually Tony sighed and shifted around to look at Tim. "It's almost Thanksgiving. I think I'm going to have to break down and tell my Dad about Eva before he just shows up out of the blue."

Senior had a habit of showing up around a holiday, they both knew that. "Okay, do you want to invite him to stay here?"

"Not really, but I sure don't want to pay for him to have a suite at the Adams House." Tony pulled out his phone and stared at it. "Guess I'll start by telling him he's a grandfather. If I'm lucky, that will throw him into a tailspin that will get us past Christmas."

It was on the tip of Tim's tongue to offer to leave the room, then he realized that if Tony had come down here to make the call, he probably wanted the support. He watched Tony psych himself up for a moment, then punch his father's number. Tim couldn't hear the other end of the call, for which he was deeply grateful.

"Hey, Dad."

"No, I'm fine, but I do have some news. Something you probably want to be sitting down for."

"You're a grandfather."

"Yes, I'm sure she's mine."

"Ziva is her mother."

"No, we're not together. She didn't want our child so I have full custody."

"We're living with Tim. Tim McGee. No, Dad, I gave up my apartment. It's an adult only building."

"Yes, I'm sure this is what I want."

Tim could tell that Tony was getting aggravated, but before he could come up with a sign of support, Tony was ending the call. "I just wanted you to know. I'll talk to you later."

Call over, Tony tossed his phone onto the coffee table. "Well, I suppose that could have gone better."

"So, what's he angrier about – you not bringing Ziva home with you or you living with me?"

Tony gave a snort and changed the subject, telling Tim more than he probably knew. "What's the plan for Thanksgiving?"

Yeah, they'd talked about this over breakfast. "Thanksgiving dinner is at Gibbs' house. I'm smoking a turkey again and Gibbs wants you to bring your minestrone soup."

"I should make a double batch and freeze the rest. That way we'll have a dinner tucked away and ready."

"That works."

-NCIS-

Gibbs was down in his basement rigging something together to make the table large enough to fit everyone, so Abby felt safe in talking to Ducky, as long as she made it quick and he didn't get sidetracked with any of his stories. "Nothing against Gibbs, Ducky, but why are we having Thanksgiving here when McGee's got that big beautiful dining room at his place?"

Ducky gave her the look that meant he'd expected her to figure it out on her own by now. She always hated that look, especially when she didn't have a clue. "My dear, bringing the children to their grandparents' home for Thanksgiving is a time honored tradition."

"Oh." It took a second, but then Abby really got it. "Oh! That's so sweet."

"Indeed. Now, the Christmas celebrations will be at Timothy's home for the foreseeable future, so we will have plenty of time to enjoy his beautiful house."

They heard Gibbs coming up the stairs so Abby began to ask Ducky about what was currently in the oven. Gibbs answered before Ducky could say anything. "Oven's all yours, Abs. McGee's doing the turkey at his place. Bishop is bringing the ham. Palmer and his wife are bringing a couple of sides and the salad is in my fridge. If we need more oven space, we can run something over to McGee's, though, since he's got two."

All Abby had was her caffeinated green bean casserole and sweet potatoes so they could both go into the oven at the same time. Looking around, she spotted several pies ready for dessert and a pile of artisan bread ready to be sliced. "Wow, Ducky, you made bread?"

Ducky was in the dining room, helping Gibbs set up the newly expanded table. "Heavens, no. Just the pies are from me. I believe Timothy baked the bread this morning."

"McGee bakes? Since when?"

Gibbs came in and gave her the look and she felt herself flush. Tim was growing and changing so much lately that she was having a hard time keeping up. Tony was, too, but she'd always figured that there was more to him than he ever showed the world, so that was an easy change to accept. Tim, her Timmy, had much more of himself hidden away than she'd ever suspected and that had been hard to accept at times. "Sorry, Gibbs."

"Started this fall, and he's getting pretty good." Gibbs pointed out the different loaves. "Herbed peasant bread, cheese bread, and ciabatta."

Abby blinked in surprise. Honestly she wasn't sure what surprised her more – the fact that McGee was such a baker or the fact that Gibbs knew each bread by sight. Before she could decide, McGee arrived at the back door with a cast iron skillet filled with another bread.

"Last one, Boss, and the turkey just came off the grill."

"Great."

McGee had set the pan down on top of the stove and while the two men were talking, Abby bent down and took a deep sniff. The texture was different but it smelled somewhat like corn bread with cranberries in it. She was so intent on the newest arrival of bread that she almost missed it when McGee glanced over at the rest of his loaves. He stopped and stared, she could actually see him mentally counting the finished loaves, before he turned back to look carefully at Gibbs and Ducky.

Ducky looked guilty while Gibbs was obviously trying to look innocent. It was the first time she'd seen such a reaction and it made her laugh. "Gibbs, did you sneak some of the bread?"

It was Ducky that broke first. "No, we were testing it."

McGee was looking as amused as Abby. Crossing his arms, he leaned his hip against the counter. "Okay, that accounts for two slices. Where's the rest?" Gibbs just shrugged and Ducky became very busy gathering up the silverware to set the table. Laughing, Tim pushed away from the counter. "Good thing I made two loaves of the oatmeal maple, isn't it? I'll bring the other loaf when we come for dinner."

"Not now?" Gibbs put such an innocent spin on that question that Abby had to cover her mouth with her hands to keep in the laugh.

"No, not now."

It took several more trips to bring the soup, the turkey and the baby gear, but true to Tim's word, the extra loaf of oatmeal maple bread didn't arrive until Tim and Tony walked in with Eva. They were the last ones to officially arrive, which lead to some friendly teasing. "Yeah, yeah, just wait until you two are trying to get out of the house with a baby."

Jimmy conceded defeat as he rubbed Breena's belly. "Don't worry, we've been taking notes."

Ducky was just starting to carve the turkey when there was a knock on the door. Abby quickly did a head count as Gibbs stood. Everyone was accounted for and everyone knew that the door was unlocked. She craned her head to look down the hall, but it was the voice that told her their visitor.

* * *

a/n - Two chapters tonight. I know you're going to ask, so it's The New Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day. So good, and I love my Danish whisk from Breadtopia. (just add a dot com to that) Other places have them, but for more $$ and the shipping was expensive. Besides, I love to support small businesses. I have one or two buckets of dough in my fridge for most of the winter.


	21. Chapter 21

Tim was glad to be finally sitting down. It had been a long day and Eva had been fussy and crying for most of the afternoon which meant that neither he nor Tony had managed to even sit down. Of course the fear that Senior would show up on his doorstep didn't help either. He'd just started to relax when someone knocked on Gibbs' door. He and Tony exchanged glances and they both knew instantly who it was going to be. Sure enough, he recognized the voice talking to Gibbs.

 _Well, you're a surprise._

 _It's Thanksgiving, I knew my son would be here. Are you going to invite me in?_

There was a slight hesitation and knowing that Gibbs wasn't thrilled by their guest felt pretty damned good, he had to admit even as he knew they couldn't exactly turn the man away.

 _Sure, we're just sitting down to dinner Come on in, Anthony._

Gibbs' voice was louder at the end, as if he was giving warning. Tim took a deep breath in preparation and saw Tony doing the same.

"Hey, Dad, glad you could make it." Tony stood and stiffly gave his father a hug. Senior clapped him on the back, already studying Eva.

"So, this is my granddaughter? She's awfully little, you sure you're feeding her enough?"

Tim didn't realize how tightly he was holding onto his fork until Abby subtly reached over and rubbed across his knuckles. He was grateful for the support and even more glad that Tony wasn't rolling over for the old man.

"She was premature, Dad, she's going to be smaller than other kids her own age for quite a while. She also has a heart condition and probably cerebral palsy."

Senior had a strange look on his face and he sat at the table without making any attempt to interact with Eva. "I see. Well, we should probably wait and discuss the details when we're alone, Junior."

"Why? Everyone here knows all about it."

"It's Thanksgiving and Jethro worked hard on this meal."

Gibbs gave a snort and shook his head. "Don't look at me, all I did was set the table."

Senior looked completely out of his element which gave Tim a perverse amount of pleasure even if he'd never tell another living soul. Finally he sat down and Ellie, who had been up getting another bowl of soup, took pity on him and brought a bowl for him while Jake passed over the basket of bread.

"Here you go, Mr. DiNozzo. Tony made the soup and Tim made all the bread." Senior didn't win any brownie points by immediately dropping the slice of bread he'd already had in his hand.

With the arrival of Senior the conversation became stilted as people concentrated on eating. When Eva started fussing again, Tony and Tim passed her back and forth, keeping her entertained and allowing each of them time to eat and nobody mentioned the fact that Tim had prepared the turkey until Senior had eaten several servings and raved about it repeatedly.

At the end of the meal, Senior invited himself home with Tony and Tim. Gibbs gave Tim a questioning look, but he just shrugged in return. Honestly, what else could he do? They'd all seen Tony try over and over again with his old man. It never seemed to work, but he had to give Tony props for the effort. One way or another, it was Tony's call to make so Tim said his good-nights and slipped off to his room as soon as they got in.

-NCIS-

"Not much of a host, is he?"

Tony really didn't want to be doing this. He'd much rather spend the evening with Tim, laughing about Gibbs new obsession with soup and bread. "I thought you were my guest, Dad, not his. Wasn't this what you wanted? To talk to me in private?"

Senior shook his head and stared at Eva as Tony swayed with her. "Just how damaged is she?"

Tony felt himself tense up and forced a calm he wasn't really feeling. "I don't consider her damaged, Dad. She has challenges and we're going to do everything possible to help her beat them."

"We? As in you and McGee? He's not family, Junior. What's he getting out of this?"

"Not everything in life is a business deal, Dad. He's my best friend and he's been here with me every step of the way."

"Yes, friend, not family. Come back to New York with me, Junior. We'll find her a good doctor and caretakers there."

Tony didn't like the word caretaker. Sure, he had help, lots of help, but he was Eva's primary caretaker – he and Tim – but he was in no mood to argue with his father. "Can't, the job's here. It's getting late, Dad, and I need to put Eva to bed, so why don't I show you where the guest room is?"

They'd come in through the back and had only made it as far as the family room, so Senior hadn't seen much of the house yet. Tony watched him closely, getting more annoyed as Senior took in every detail of the updated rooms.

"Your friend hired quite a nice designer."

"Actually, Tim designed almost everything himself, did practically all the work himself, too."

"Really?"

It was more disgust than impressed that he heard in his father's voice and Tony remembered the attitude Senior had with male designers, always alluding to their sexual preferences behind their back. When they walked into Eva's room, Tony had to poke at the bear just a bit. "Well, except for in here. I designed this room."

"I see."

He'd had enough practice that it didn't take long to get Eva into a clean diaper and a warm sleeper before picking her up again. "Come on, sweetheart, let's show grandpa where his room is, then we'll get you a bottle."

They walked past the bathroom and down to the extra bedroom where they'd shoved Tony's old bedroom furniture and done little else. Senior recognized the furniture. "This is your room."

"No, this is my old furniture. I have the bedroom across the hall from my daughter. Good night, Dad." Tony wasn't all that surprised when his father just dropped his suitcase onto the bed and followed him back out. Ignoring him for the moment, Tony carried Eva into his bedroom. The small refrigerator that once held water and juice when he was recovering now held Eva's nighttime bottles, made before they'd left for dinner. Feeling his father behind him, Tony retrieved a bottle and put it in the warmer.

"So, ol' Timmy decorated a bedroom just for you? How nice of him."

For the first time Tony wished he'd put a microwave up here to heat bottles quicker. "Actually, Dad, he was planning on this guest room for his sister, but she canceled her visit just a few days before Ziva dumped me and took off. I was an absolute mess, my condo was all shot up, and he just brought me here and tucked me into that bed. He made sure that my head was on straight, let me stay here as long and as often as I wanted." He gave his father a hard look as the warmer beeped. "I've never had a friend like Tim and I really hope to God that he can say the same thing about me."

Tony returned to Eva's room and settled in the chair to feed her. He heard his father moving around out in the hallway before he finally came in. Eva was winding down, so Tony stayed quiet. Eventually Senior came over and stood next to him, watching her.

"Other than her coloring, I don't see much of Ziva in her. She looks a little like your mother."

"Yeah, I know." He waited for his father to say something else, but he just left the room. Sighing, Tony wondered if he'd ever understand the man. To be honest, part of him hoped that he didn't because understanding was the first step to becoming.

-NCIS-

It was no surprise when a taxi was parked in the driveway first thing Friday morning. "You're leaving already?"

"Yes, well, business deal, you know."

Tony did know, but it still didn't feel right. "It's a holiday weekend, we could have driven you to the airport."

"It's all right, son. Besides, McGee left almost an hour ago."

"He did?" Tony glanced over and sure enough, the keys that Tim had to Gibbs' truck were gone. "Hmm, must be going to do some early shopping for Eva's Christmas presents if he took the truck." Even as he said it, it didn't sound right. McGee was much more likely to be shopping online deals rather than fighting the crowds somewhere.

The taxi driver honked and Senior picked up his suitcase. "The offer to come to New York still stands, Junior. You could be making a lot more money in the private sector."

"I do all right, Dad. Well, your cab is waiting, but don't be a stranger, okay?"

It was an awkward goodbye, but Tony was actually quite relieved when his father's taxi pulled out of the driveway. He looked down at his daughter. "One of these days, we're going to have to talk Uncle Timmy into telling us what happened while Daddy was in the hospital."

-NCIS-

The kids' Christmas presents had been ordered weeks ago, so after one look at the mall parking lot, Vance had headed into the office. If he could get the year end assessments ready to go, then he and the kids might be able to sneak off for a weekend ski trip like Kayla had been hinting. There was just a skeleton staff at the Yard today, but what he did not expect was to see anyone from Gibbs' team there.

Detouring, Vance circled around to stop at McGee's desk. "Just because your team is on call, Agent McGee, doesn't mean you have to sit here and wait for a case." From this angle he could see that McGee was actually online, ordering baby toys on a black Friday special even though several cold case files were on his desk.

Order placed, Tim minimized the screen and leaned back. "Tony has company, so I wanted to give them some family time, you know?"

"Family?" There was only one possibility and Vance groaned. "Senior's in town."

"Showed up at dinner last night."

"And he's staying at your place."

"Couldn't exactly say no."

Vance would have, but that was one of the difference between the two men. "Well, don't work too hard, Agent McGee." He received a smile in return.

"No, Sir." McGee pointed to the countdown running in the bottom corner of his computer screen. "New sales on the top of every hour. Ten minutes of shopping, fifty minutes of paperwork."

They all hated paperwork and Vance gave a laugh as he moved toward the stairs. "I may have to try that."

-NCIS-

"All right, Mr. Gibbs, here you go."

Gibbs grinned and took the new keys. He'd traded in his old truck for one that was a few years newer, but even better was the fact that it had a crew cab – a second seat for his newly extended family. They'd closed a hard case the night before, just in time for the weekend, the first full weekend of December, and he knew exactly how the four of them were going to spend the day. "Thanks, appreciate you coming in so early to do this."

Dropping his tools in the bed of the truck and securing the extra base for the car seat, Gibbs headed back toward his neighborhood.

-NCIS-

"Well, somebody is bright eyed and bushy-tailed this morning." Scratching at his uncombed hair, Tony yawned and stumbled into his daughter's room. She squealed and kicked, waving her arms as he reached down to pick her up. Her movement was still very uncoordinated and jerky, but at least she was moving. Luckily, diaper changes were pretty automatic and she was just wet, not dirty. Diaper changed, he snapped her back into her sleeper. They'd learned to not get her all cleaned up until after breakfast. "Okay, let's go see if Uncle Tim has your bottle ready."

Downstairs, Tim looked even more tired as he fumbled with the various parts of the bottle assembly. Tony grinned as he bounced Eva slightly on his hip. "Uncle Timmy isn't a real morning person, Eva." Uncle Timmy was, however, able to subtly give him the bird without dropping the partially assembled bottle.

-NCIS-

Tony was still laughing when a key rattled in the front door, then Gibbs came stomping in. "You sleepyheads up?"

"Of course. We've got our living alarm clock so there's no such thing as sleeping in anymore. Why'd you come through the front? The snow's not that deep."

Gibbs just grinned at them before tossing his coat and gloves on the breakfast table. "I parked out front. It's a perfect day to go chop down a Christmas tree."

Tony stared at him blankly before looking at McGee. "Did he say 'chop'?"

"I did." Gibbs took Eva from Tony and the bottle from Tim. "Time to start making some new family traditions and we're going to start with the tree. No more artificial crap and not some designer shaped tree either. We're going to go get a real tree for Eva's first Christmas. Now, unless you boys plan on traipsing through the countryside in your boxers, I suggest you go get dressed."

Pronouncement made, Gibbs sat down with Eva and her bottle while Tony and Tim looked at each other and shrugged before retreating to their respective bedrooms to dress.

Finally alone with his granddaughter, Gibbs let a real smile shine through. "Your daddy and your uncle never had any good family memories and they certainly never had decent family traditions to hand down, so we're going to start some new ones this year."

McGee was the first one back in, dressed and looking a little more awake just as Eva was finishing her bottle. "You guys got everything to make some more of that soup and bread when we get home?"

"Do you one better than that." Tim walked over to the refrigerator and took out a large plastic container from the freezer. "Just have to let it thaw, and we always have bread dough in the fridge."

Gibbs gave an approving nod before handing Eva to Tim. "You start getting her ready, I'll start the coffee." As much as he loved the coffee from McGee's fancy machine, this was a day for the traditional coffeemaker so they could have a full thermos.

Tony was coming out of his room just as McGee was coming up the stairs with Eva. Between the two of them, they quickly had her cleaned up and changed into a snowsuit and the diaper bag fully stocked before the coffee was done. Gibbs looked up from the eggs he was scrambling as they came back downstairs. "You boys are getting pretty good at that."

"Did you get a new truck?" Through the window, Tim could just see the corner of the truck when they came downstairs, but it didn't look quite the same. A quick check of the table in the entryway showed that Tim's keys to the old truck were gone. How he'd missed Gibbs taking them, he'd never know. More of what Abby called 'magic', he supposed.

Gibbs divided the eggs between the plates. "Can't have the four of us squeezed in a regular cab and that little hybrid of yours isn't really designed for off-road driving. Besides, we're going fishing next spring, right?"

Tony took two of the plates and set them at the breakfast bar since coats and the diaper bag were piled on the table. Without asking, he added a touch of salt to McGee's eggs with a heavier dash of pepper, while his food got a healthier shake of each. "What are we going to do if she turns out to be a girlie-girl that doesn't want to touch a worm?"

"Even girlie-girls need to learn survival skills." Gibbs joined them at the counter. Breakfast was quick and efficient as Tony and Tim passed Eva back and forth, keeping her busy and allowing them to eat. All in all, Gibbs was very pleased with how quickly they managed to get out the door.

The air was crisp and cold as they set out on the road, McGee up front with Gibbs and Tony in the back seat next to Eva. One of the first things Tim noticed was that this truck was actually much newer than what Gibbs had driven before and somewhere along the way a previous owner had upgraded the music system, allowing him to plug his phone into the system and a few minutes later Pandora was cranking out Christmas music. Both the boys held their breath, waiting to see how Gibbs would react, but he just nodded. By the time they were off the main roads, Eva was bouncing and squealing to the music and the adults were humming.

By the time they arrived at the ranger station, it had just opened. Gibbs had already purchased the cutting permit, so they just gave the men a map showing the permitted areas and sent them on their way. Gibbs drove another ten miles before turning onto a tiny side road. Nothing about the spot stuck out on the map Tim was studying.

"How'd you pick this spot, Boss?"

Gibbs backed into a spot between several large trees and killed the engine. "If I was stateside, this is where we always brought Kelly to pick out a tree."

"Traditions." It was just a murmur, coming from both front and back seats, and Gibbs nodded. Nothing more was said as they climbed out of the truck. Since Tony already had Eva, Tim slipped the baby pack on and then Tony and Tim together wrestled her into the pack and strapped her in.

They were both slightly winded and Gibbs smirked at them. "She's getting more active already."

"Yeah, and most of the time, that's a good thing." Tony grinned at the sight of his little girl strapped to McGee's chest. "It's actually gotten better now that she has enough control over her neck to be facing out."

"Yes, because much like her father, she needs to see everything that's going on. After all, that's what puts the 'nozzi' in DiNozzo." Judging from the tongue Tony stuck out at his partner, it was a familiar joke between the two of them, but it was the first time Gibbs had heard it and it made him laugh before he shook his head.

"Okay, you three, let's go find a tree."

Just past the trees they were parked under was an open meadow, filled with about six inches of untouched snow, and past that was a field of evergreens in every shape and size.

"Remember, we don't cut down the first tree we see."

"Yes, Dad." The sing-song chorus of the two voices made Gibbs grin once again as they stepped away from the tree they'd both just pointed out. However, several hours later, after looking at every tree within carrying distance of the truck, they were the ones laughing as that first tree ended up being the one chosen.

"Funny. Very funny, you two." Gibbs sawed while Tony held the top of the tree and McGee took pictures. Since they were only about twenty feet from the truck, it was an easy carry and the tree was dropped into the bed of the truck.

Eva had been grunting while all that was going on, so now Tim was unbuckling the straps. "You're making my eyes water, little lady."

Gibbs watched the process, noticing that McGee's gloves weren't all that thick, and neither were DiNozzo, which meant he probably had the warmest hands of the bunch. "Let me change her, your fingers are going to feel like icicles."

Closing the door behind them, Gibbs fired up the engine to get the heater going before he started the process of getting Eva out of her little snowsuit. Once he had her changed and back in her clothes, Tony and Tim were throwing snowballs at each other. Instead of getting out, he found a bottle in the diaper bag and started feeding her as he watched them. "See that, sweetheart? Your daddy and your uncle are good for each other. I'm kinda glad you're the only woman in their lives right now."

-NCIS-

Panting, both men finally stopped to catch their breath. "Man, I haven't done that in years." McGee nodded without saying anything as he grinned at their audience, which made Tony turn around and look. Gibbs was holding Eva up so that she could see out the back window. "Hey, there's our girl. Look at her, she's watching us."

"She sure is."

Snowball fight finished, they moved to the truck. It took a few minutes to shuffle around and get Eva back in her car seat and no one complained when McGee tied the used diaper into a bag and set it in the bed of the truck until they'd get somewhere with a garbage.

Just as they got back into civilization was a small cafe that had been there for years. He and his girls had always stopped there on their way back, so it was automatic that Gibbs pulled in there now. After taking turns in the restroom, they found a booth and ordered lunch, with Gibbs adding three hot chocolates to the order before he tickled Eva's foot. "In a couple of years, you'll be old enough to have one, too."

Hot chocolates arrived and Tony scooped up a tiny bit of the whipped cream with his finger and let Eva suck on the sweet treat. "Oh, yeah, you're going to like that, aren't you?"

The waitress arrived back with their food as Eva was gnawing on her daddy's finger. "Oh, she's so cute. What is she, about four, five months old?"

It was a common misconception, between Eva's small size and her developmental delays. Strangers and casual acquaintances didn't look past the slightly spastic movements and see the sparks of intelligence that the family were seeing more and more.

"Little older, actually. She was a preemie, but she's catching up."

-NCIS-

"Where's the tree going to go, living room or family room?" Gibbs had asked a darn good question, so Tony looked to McGee for the answer.

"Family room, that's where we spend the most time. I'll go grab the stand."

Tony nodded at that. The living room was formal and elegant and while the two men often spent evenings in there reading and quietly talking, when everyone was together, it was in the larger, less formal room that was used. While they waited for McGee, Tony looked around. It had been logic that dictated his move, but they had created a warm, happy home for Eva, something he'd always be grateful for.

Tim came back down with not just the stand, but an entire box plus a blanket tucked under his arm. Tony took the blanket and spread it out on the floor for Eva, far enough away from the action that she'd be safe, but close enough that she could see everything.

"Okay, is it straight?"

Tony looked carefully. "Little to the left. Nope, that's too much."

"How about now?"

"Little more, there."

Once Gibbs and McGee had the left to right set they moved on to forward and back so Tony had to move to spot them, but he immediately realized the problem. "Why am I the one making the decisions when it's McGee that'll be tweaking out if it's crooked?"

McGee's slightly OCD tendencies were an ongoing joke between the three of them, but Gibbs realized that he had a point. "Get up here, DiNozzo, and let McGee supervise."

"Should I get my laser level?"

"No."

"Absolutely not."

Even without the laser, it took almost twenty minutes before the tree was perfectly straight in McGee's opinion, but finally he called it good. Tony jumped to his feet. "I'll get some water in the reservoir."

"Bump that tree and I will kill you, DiNozzo."

"You hear that, Eva? Grandpa is threatening Daddy." Just in case, he was very careful adding the water. No point in risking it, or having to go through all that work again. Finished, he took Eva upstairs for a diaper, then fixed her bottle.

McGee got the bread dough prepared and resting while Gibbs untangled and tested the lights. Eva was finished with her bottle so Tony put her in her bouncy chair on the floor where she could watch, then the three men looped the tree with the bright and festive lights. By then it was time to get the bread in the oven and Tony got the soup on the stove to slowly warm. It didn't take too long to get all the ornaments up and by the time they were done, the food was ready.

They ate sitting on the floor with Eva. She was fascinated with the lights and after they were done eating, Tony took her out to help her practice sitting up. She still needed to be held, but he could feel her muscles reacting as she sat there. "Yeah, you're trying to sit up like a big girl, aren't you, sweetheart?"

Tummy time was next, where she'd developed a little more control. Senior's disappointment in Eva's development was still fresh on the minds of all three men as they watched her shift around, finally managing to get her arms under her enough to raise her head up a little bit. Still fascinated with the lights and the brightly colored ornaments, she stared and squealed.

"She really is making progress."

Tony was glad to hear that Gibbs saw it, too. "Yeah, I think eventually she'll catch up with her milestones." She was obviously tiring and so he scooped her up and sat her on his lap.

Before she could fall asleep, Tim snapped a picture of father and daughter in front of the tree. "That's another tradition we're starting."

"Sounds good. Need to get pictures with Santa, too. This grandpa wants to have annual Santa pictures on the mantle. What do you think?"

Tony turned pensive. "I remember when my mom was alive. There'd be a whole row of pictures with Santa up on the mantle, every one of them in a silver frame."

"And after she was gone?"

That got a shrug. "I was getting a little old to sit on Santa's lap and the place was always decorated by the wife of the week or some designer he hired. Little Tony pictures kinda clashed with the designer look, you know?" Trying to lighten the mood, he turned to McGee. "What about you? Any chance that we're going to find any pictures of little Timmy on Santa's lap?"

"No, my dad didn't believe in doing stuff like that."

"He didn't want you and Sarah believing in Santa Clause?"

"Just me. Sarah got Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the whole package."

Up until now, Gibbs had been watching them and quietly listening. "He wanted you to be a miniature adult, not a child?"

"Well, I could tie my own tie before most other kids mastered tying their own shoes."

Now it was Tony's turn to stare at him. "How old?"

"Umm, I know I tied my own tie for my kindergarten school picture." He gave a shrug before he confessed the rest. "Probably tied it a dozen times before he was satisfied."

"Hell, McGee, even I only had clip on ties until I was twelve."

-NCIS-

After Gibbs went home and Eva was down for the night, Tim and Tony decorated the rest of the house. McGee didn't have a lot of decorations, but when combined with what Tony had brought with him, it was enough and the styles of the two men blended quite well. Finished, they turned off most of the overhead lights and enjoyed the tree with a bottle of beer.

"So what are we doing on the outside?"

"Maybe a wreath on the door? I'm not getting up there in the dark." Much like last year, they'd been hit with a heavy case load and shorter days, meaning they rarely were home before the sun had set. Gibbs had helped with the Halloween decorations, he and Tony handling the cobwebs on the chimney and the roof while Tim did the lower levels. Neither men had teased McGee about his fear of heights and now an idea was starting to form in Tony's head.

* * *

a/n - Just two chapters today since I worked the food truck grill for most of the day. See you guys tomorrow.


	22. Chapter 22

Gibbs knew his boys better than he knew himself and Tony was up to something. Sure enough, the second McGee went downstairs, Tony's fingers were flying across the keyboard, albeit with a lot of cursing and backspacing. Before he could ask, Bishop beat him to it.

"Tony, what are you doing?"

"We had a witness on a case a while back. Retired Marine, started a lighting company."

"And?"

Tony looked around, but McGee was still gone. "He talked about doing a lot of outdoor Christmas light displays. I know it's late, but if he can still squeeze us in, I want to surprise Tim."

Gibbs approved of the idea. Doing the Halloween display reminded him of how uncomfortable McGee was with heights. He'd meant to offer his help for Christmas lights, but the only free day they'd had was the day before when they'd gone out to get the tree. Unfortunately, 'a witness' and 'a while back' didn't really narrow things down.

"Got him." They both stared as Bishop bounced up out of her chair. "Gerald Carter, owner of GC Lighting and Magic."

Tony's mouth opened, then closed as he shook his head and stared at the post-it note in his hand. Gibbs would have chuckled, but he was pretty sure he had the same expression. They had a case, but there was nothing wrong with a little multitasking. "We've got six interviews to get through. You two take the ones nearest Carter's business."

"Thanks, Boss." Tony was up in a flash, grabbing his gear.

"Make sure you warn the neighbors. Otherwise they'll be calling here."

"Got it."

-NCIS-

Tony handed Tim the last of the plates to go in the dishwasher. "Since Eva is down for the night, I'll take the trash out and then run to the store for some more diapers."

"Yeah, sure. I'm just going to read for an hour or so, maybe answer Penny's email."

"Tell her 'hi' for me. Is she still in Paraguay?"

"Until the end of the month, then she'll be teaching for a term in Brazil."

"Man, I hope I have half her energy at her age. Can you imagine her and Ducky getting together? They'd put the rest of us to shame, trying to keep up with them."

"Except for Gibbs."

"Well, yeah." Tony picked up the trash bag and made sure he had his keys to the Prius. The advantage of an electric engine was that it was hard to actually hear him leave.

The two men took turns taking the garbage out, always making sure to set Mrs. Olson's can out on the curb for her, so that was done first. "Evening, Mrs. Olson."

She had been waiting for him, a plate of cookies covered in plastic wrap ready to go home with him. "Good evening, Anthony. How is that beautiful little girl of yours?"

"She's doing good, started trying to roll over tonight. All this therapy is starting to pay off."

"That's wonderful. You and Timothy are doing such a good job with her."

He snuck one cookie before securing the plastic again. "Thank you, ma'am, and speaking of Tim, I'm going to be surprising him. There's a crew coming tomorrow to hang Christmas lights so don't call Gibbs or Tim, asking about them."

She mimed locking her mouth. "My lips are sealed."

"Thanks, and you can let them in so they can run the power, right?"

"Of course."

That was the easy one. Tony started up the car and backed it out of the driveway before parking in front of the Young's house. He hoped that George would answer the door, but it was Clara. He'd never spoken to her before, but he'd heard the stories.

He was a little rusty, but if there ever was a time for the DiNozzo charm, this was it. "Good evening, Mrs. Young. We've never formally met, but I'm Anthony DiNozzo."

"You moved in next door with Mr. McGee. You and your baby."

"Yes, ma'am. Tim's my best friend and I'm really grateful for all his help. Without everything Tim and Gibbs have been doing to help me, I'm not exactly sure how I would have managed sudden fatherhood."

"Uh huh."

"Work's been really busy and Tim's been kinda bummed that he hasn't had time to hang lights."

Clara looked toward McGee's house, even though she couldn't see it from where she was standing. "His Halloween decorations were the talk of the neighborhood again this year. I must admit that it was nice seeing all those children coming down our street again. It's been a long time." For a moment she had a wistful expression on her face, but it passed so quickly that Tony thought he might have imagined it.

"Yeah, that was a lot of fun. With lights, the first year is the hardest – you got to plan it all out and put up all those hooks – so I'm surprising him by having it done. There will be a crew at the house tomorrow while we're at work, so I wanted you to know about it and not to worry."

"It's not going to be some godawful gaudy display, is it? Halloween is one thing, but Christmas is entirely different."

"Don't worry, I think you'll like it." Tony gave a wink, then it was a rush to get to the store before Tim became suspicious.

-NCIS-

Normally they'd work another hour or so but the case was stalled and Tony was getting antsy so Gibbs called it. "All right, pack it in. We'll pick it up again in the morning."

A wave of relief crossed Tony's face, but Tim and Ellie looked baffled to be ending at a reasonable hour. He gave them the look, which dried up any questions and got them packing up to go home. Tony and Tim would have to pick Eva up from daycare, which would give Gibbs enough time to get home first. He wanted to see how the lights turned out, but mostly he wanted to see the look on Tim's face.

He was in the elevator before Tim and Tony were out of the parking lot.

Gibbs drove to McGee's house first, wanting to see what the first impression would be like. Without a doubt, Carter had gone above and beyond. Every light was individually mounted so that they were not only evenly spaced, but all at the same exact angle. Knowing he wouldn't have too much time left, he drove around to his house, getting parked and jogging back just as Tim pulled in the driveway.

-NCIS-

Tim was glad to be getting home at a decent hour tonight. It was still early in the week, but the case had been frustrating to say the least. Tony was in charge of dinner tonight, so with any luck Tim would be able to get caught up with the laundry. It always amazed him how such a little girl could create such a huge pile of dirty clothes every week.

The house across from the Young's had a beautiful light display, even if the random colors made his teeth itch. The Young's house had a simple display with just one tree in the front yard covered in lights. Unfortunately, with their work schedule, his home would still be looking pretty bare and not at all festive come Christmas morning. He started to turn into his driveway. "What the...?

Muscle memory got the car parked and shut off before he scrambled out to lean against the car roof and stare. He'd always told everyone that it was about the architecture when he talked about his house, but even he hadn't been fully aware of just how incredible the detail was. Tonight every line of the roof, of the dormers and every architectural feature was outlined in lights. Not the casual strings of lights that looped from hook to hook, but tight, perfectly straight lines of pure white lights.

Still stunned, he turned to Tony and found him standing on the other side, grinning. "You did this?"

Tony gave him a tilt of his head. "Well, had it done. I think you would have noticed if I'd been out here myself."

Even as they were talking, Tim couldn't tear his eyes away from the house for more than a few seconds at a time. "Wow, this is so beautiful. I... I don't know what to say."

They were both resting their arms on the roof of the car and Tony reached over and squeezed his arm. "Hey, after everything you've done for Eva and me, I was glad to do this. Besides, I couldn't risk you falling off a ladder and breaking your neck. Who'd fold my laundry then?"

Tim felt the corners of his mouth crinkle up. "That's true. Why is it, no matter how many times you and Gibbs watch me fold shirts, neither of you have mastered it yet?"

"Laundry folding is a gift and we both bow to the master." Tony looked over toward the gate and nodded. "Isn't that right, Boss?"

Tim had been so engrossed in the lights, he hadn't noticed Gibbs standing there. "Hey, Boss."

"Hey, McGee." Gibbs joined them and ruffled Tim's hair while Tony got Eva out of her car seat. "So, the lights meet with your approval?"

He couldn't stop staring. Even the power cords followed the various lines of the house, rendering them virtually invisible. "It's perfect, exactly what I imagined."

Walking up to the front porch they found the door now flanked by two large topiaries made of boxwood and filled with tiny lights. On the door was a wreath made of a blend of evergreens mixed with some boxwood branches. Silver ribbon and ornaments reflected the tiny, battery operated rice lights.

"Nice touch, DiNozzo."

"Actually, Boss, that's a gift from the lighting company. Since McHomeowner here has such a reputation in the neighborhood, everyone wanted to hire the company we were using. Apparently they signed five contracts for other homes in the neighborhood while they were here."

Gibbs nodded and Tim finally looked away from his house. "I have a reputation?"

Tony was unlocking the door and Gibbs steered him through it. "Yeah, McGee, you've got a reputation."

-NCIS-

As the door swung open Gibbs put his hands on Tim's shoulders and started walking. He wanted to laugh at Tim's question. Instead, he just answered it. "Yeah, McGee, you've got a reputation. Most of the folks around here have owned these places for years. Sure, we all maintain our homes but until you moved in the last real renovations were back when Bill Clinton was president. You came in and started cutting down overgrown trees and ripping out the ivy – reminded people why they bought these beautiful homes to begin with."

There had been a shy smile in McGee's face ever since Gibbs had watched him get out of the car, but now there was a little bit of a blush to go with it. He knew Tim soaked up every attaboy he got at work, but this was a stark reminder that he needed it even on a personal level so he added a ruffling of the hair as a good measure.

Judging from the expression on his face, Tony approved. "You staying for dinner, Boss? Nothing fancy, just pasta."

Both the boys were getting more adventurous in the kitchen. Back when Tony first moved in, pasta would have meant bottled sauce over cooked noodles. Now, it could be one of many different things, all pretty tasty. "Sure, pasta sounds good. McGee, you making bread tonight?"

Tim unwrapped what looked to be most of a loaf of his homemade bread. "How about some garlic cheese bread?"

"That works."

There was something about watching the two boys work together at home that satisfied Gibbs in a way he could never explain. Tim fixed a bottle for Eva while Tony got the water going for the pasta. Tony fed her and Tim prepped his bread until the water came to a boil then she was shifted over to Tim's lap while the noodles went into the water and a bag of shrimp was rinsed and tossed into a frying pan with olive oil and butter. Various seasonings went into the pan as the shrimp sizzled and popped. Eva finished her bottle and was up on Tim's shoulder, giving a loud burp as the bread went under the broiler. The salad was simple, a bagged mix just big enough for the three of them. Since Tim only had one hand to work with, once he had the big bag torn open and the greens dumped into a bowl, he and Tony passed the various smaller bags back and forth, opening them together.

He must have chuckled at the sight, because they both turned to him, matching expressions of curiosity on their faces. "You guys are getting pretty good at this."

Shrimp Scampi over angel hair pasta, a salad and homemade bread slathered with garlic butter and shredded cheese and broiled. It was a long way from the various pizzas back in the beginning. Once they were done eating, Gibbs helped McGee clean up and load the dishwasher while Tony mixed up some thin rice cereal for Eva. It took almost thirty minutes to get less than four spoonfuls down her and she was wearing the rest.

Tim stepped closer and gave Tony a reassuring squeeze of his shoulders. "I'll do the bath tonight."

"You sure?"

"Might as well." Tim looked down at his damp shirt and Gibbs realized that he'd splashed him at least once when they cleaned up. "I'm already wet."

Tony smiled as he watched them leave, then sagged in his chair when it was just he and Gibbs. Gibbs really didn't know what to say, but Tony turned to him first. "I know she's getting better, it's just hard."

"I know it is, Tony, but you're doing a great job with her. Have they decided if the swallowing problems is just a developmental delay or something more serious?"

"Apparently it's too early to tell. I just have to be patient. If her swallowing hasn't improved by after the first of the year, then they'll schedule more tests." Tony rubbed at his forehead. "Story of my life, lately. I just wish I knew more. Was it the delay in treatment that causing most of this? What even caused her to be born early? The records they gave us don't even show anything about Ziva even having an obstetrician."

Gibbs looked at him carefully. "Would knowing any of that really make a difference?"

"Probably not. I just wish I could wave a magic wand and make it all better."

That brought a ghost of a smile to Gibbs' face. "You and every other decent parent out there. She's getting healthier, she's getting stronger. That's what you focus on. One day at a time."

Tony straightened up and nodded. "The occupational therapist told me that I needed to give myself time to mourn the might have beens before I can fully appreciate what's here now."

"Sounds like good advice."

-NCIS-

"Emil?"

"Yes, sir?"

A stack of notes was handed over. "I will be taking Ziva to the country house after the first of the year. I want these changes to the house finished before we arrive."

An eyebrow was raised, but Emil knew better than to ask questions about something like this. "Of course, sir."

-NCIS-

"Are you guys all ready for Christmas?"

Tony sent his last report to the printer before he looked over at Bishop. "Almost. We're taking turns shopping so one of us can distract her while the other one sneaks stuff in."

Gibbs gave a snort from his desk. "You should see them, Bishop. Hiding boxes in their coats and slinking down to the basement."

She stared at him, shaking her head, just as Tim arrived back with lunch. "It's not like she can read the labels yet."

Understanding the topic of conversation, Tim jumped right in as he handed out the food. "It's practice for when she's older. She is a DiNozzo, after all."

"And I suspect my daughter will be heavily influenced by her Uncle Tim." Food in hand, Tony started reading his email and they all noticed a change in his demeanor.

"Tony?"

"My dad's not coming for Christmas. He's got a business deal that's going hot."

"But it's Eva's first Christmas with you." As soon as she'd said it, Ellie's mouth snapped closed. "Sorry."

"It's the way that he is. I shouldn't have expected anything different." Ending the discussion, Tony got very serious about his food, while Gibbs and Ellie noticed a strange look on McGee's face, but he subtly shook his head when Gibbs raised an eyebrow at him so Gibbs dropped it for now.

After a long afternoon at work and then a quick dinner at home, it was Tony's night to go shopping while Tim stayed at home with Eva. Just a few minutes after Tony left in the Prius, Gibbs came in the back door. "Talk to me."

"Boss?"

"I saw the look on your face when Senior bailed. Talk to me."

"Am I the reason he's missing Eva's first Christmas?"

"Tim..."

Pacing, Tim crossed the family room several times. "I mean, his opinion of me was pretty apparent when Tony was in the hospital, and - "

"And nothing. You're not the bad guy here, McGee. Don't start thinking that you are."

"Yeah, I know. I just," McGee made another lap around the family room as he tried to collect his thoughts. "If Mr. DiNozzo doesn't show up to spend time with Eva and Tony over Christmas, I'm not sure Tony will ever forgive him."

Gibbs cut McGee off, grasping his upper arms now that he had him stopped. "Senior needs Tony a hell of a lot more than Tony needs his father. Maybe it's time the old man figured that out."

"Yeah, maybe." Tim seemed to chew on something for a moment. "I'm going to call and invite him to stay here so he knows I'm not trying to cause trouble between he and Tony, but if he turns me down, I won't push it."

Not really what he wanted to hear, but Tim was too forgiving at times. "Fine, but you call him while either I'm here or Tony's here. Don't want that bastard twisting your offer around."

Tim pulled out his phone. "Then let's get it over with." The call was answered on the third ring.

 _This is Anthony DiNozzo._

"Mr. DiNozzo, it's Timothy McGee. I wanted to make sure you knew that you were welcome to stay here with us over the Christmas holiday. Whichever days you're in town. It would mean so much to Tony to have you here."

 _Thank you, Timothy, but as I told Tony, I have a business proposition that's becoming quite active. Besides, it's my step-daughter's baby's first Christmas._

The smarmy undertone made Gibbs want to throttle the man and he also saw a flash of anger on Tim's face. It was probably a struggle, but Tim kept his composure. "It's Eva's first Christmas, too."

 _I appreciate the offer, Timothy, but I'm afraid it's just not possible. Goodbye._

The call ended and Tim stared at his phone for a moment before storming into his office. Gibbs followed, albeit a little more slowly.

If anyone questioned McGee's seriousness about helping to raise Eva, seeing his office would erase those doubts. Most of the floor space was now taken up with a play area for Eva and the desk was crammed against one wall. The surface of the desk had several books on premature infants, cerebral palsy and developmental delays. On one corner was a stack of catalogs specializing in developmentally appropriate toys, on the other was the receiver for the baby monitor. The monitor was quiet and Tim quickly moved the books out of the way so he could use his keyboard. Twenty minutes later he had his answer.

"Step-daughter's father-in-law is big money."

"And Senior is along for the ride."

"Yeah."

* * *

 **a/n - Some of you have asked for a video on the shirt folding. Check youtube for how to fold a shirt in under 2 seconds by Dave Hax. There's some other people that have uploaded his video under their own name, but that's the original one.**


	23. Chapter 23

Other than a skeleton crew, Vance sent everyone home by late afternoon on Christmas Eve and he didn't have to tell his MCRT twice. Abby came flying upstairs to hug them before they all left. "You guys drive carefully and I'll see you tomorrow."

"You too, Abs, and if you want to come by tonight, you're more than welcome."

"Aww thanks, McGee, but I promised the nuns I'd help set up and then stay for midnight mass. I'll be there with bells on in the morning, though."

Tim knew that 'with bells on' could be quite literal, but he decided not to ask as they all walked out together. Once Bishop and Abby were on the road, the three men didn't waste any time. Tim rode with Gibbs to get home quicker while Tony took the car and picked up Eva.

Gibbs dropped Tim off in front of his house before driving around the block. If anyone had told Gibbs how many times he'd actually drive between his home and McGee's, he'd say that they were crazy, but sometimes it really was easier. Like tonight, it would take him many trips to carry everything by hand so he drove home, filled the bed of his truck, and returned to McGee's.

Tony had just pulled into the driveway right ahead of Gibbs. Between Eva and the diaper bag his hands were pretty full, but he left the door open for Gibbs, who had even more of a handful. After a brief hello, Tony took Eva upstairs to get her cleaned up while Gibbs made one more trip to the truck before he tracked down McGee.

Dressed more casually than he'd been earlier, Tim was in the kitchen putting several large pots on the stove to warm. Gibbs was pretty sure he knew what was in them, but he wanted to be sure.

"Minestrone?"

"Yep, and he also made a tomato basil soup and I did a creamy chicken and mushroom."

"With bread, right?"

"Of course." Tim turned toward him with a tiny round loaf in his hand and Gibbs was already envisioning the fights.

"That's not going to be enough, not by a long shot."

Tim moved to the side and picked up a cloth that was covering several dozen of the tiny breads. "Individual bread bowls and I've got plenty."

Now Gibbs was intrigued. "Bread bowls?"

"Yep." Tim cut a circle down through the top of the round bread and pulled out most of the center, leaving about an inch of bread, then crust of the small loaf. He then set it in a larger, ceramic bowl, ready to be filled. "As soon as the soup is warmed through, you can fill it up."

Gibbs was already picking at the removed bread. "Nice."

Christmas specials were on the TV and a fire was in the fireplace. The tree lights made the room festive and the table from the laundry room had been moved into the family room for a work space. The plan was to assemble and wrap toys and presents and visit with the many friends that would be dropping by that night.

The first visitor of the evening was Mrs. Olson who brought a chocolate cake with her. She sat next to Eva's swing, marveling at how much more alert she seemed to be and how much more control over her head she seemed to have. A friend was picking Mrs. Olson up for a church event so she didn't stay long. When it was time for her to leave, Tony took Eva out of her swing so they could both walk the elderly woman to the door.

With her ride waiting, Mrs. Olson raised up on her tiptoes to kiss Tony's cheek. "You and Tim have a wonderful holiday with this little angel of yours."

Vance pulled in next to the church van and gave a wave as he and his kids went into the house, not wanting to interrupt. Tony gave a short nod before making sure she got into the van alright.

On the other side of the yard, two people were having a quiet and intense conversation. Tony recognized George and Clara Young. He was trying to convince her to come over with him, so Tony decided to take the bull by the horns.

"It's cold out here, come on in."

With Tony standing there with the baby, holding the door open, Clara allowed herself to be led to the front porch. "We don't want to impose."

"We invited you, remember?" In fact, McGee had invited pretty much every neighbor within three blocks.

They'd gotten Clara into the house and the door closed even as she tried again. "Well, maybe for a minute but we really can't stay... Oh, my."

She was staring into the dining room, then turned to see the living room. "Yeah, Tim's really fixed the place up. Come on, I'll give you the two cent tour."

The house was open enough that it really didn't take all that long to see the main floor. She stood in the hallway and looked intently into the living room, the dining room and the guest bath, but she walked into the utility room. "Our home has almost the same exact laundry room, but I never dreamed it could look like this."

Her fingers trailed across the washer and dryer. "These must have cost a small fortune."

Tony had heard enough of the story to know the answer. "From what I understand, he picked this set out as his dream set, then a more practical set as option number two, but these went on sale cheaper than the practical set and he loves the red."

She moved on from the washer to the cabinets. "Are these the originals?"

"Yep, he painted them, added new counter tops and handles. Did the same thing in the kitchen, too."

That got her moving and the next stop was the kitchen. Tim was in there, pouring soup in bread bowls for Vance's two kids while Vance was peering at McGee's fancy coffee maker. Tim smiled widely at the newcomers. "George, Clara, glad you could make it. Minestrone, tomato basil or creamy chicken and mushroom to start with?" He held two large bowls out, each holding a bread bowl and smiled at them both.

George pointed out the minestrone for himself and the Chicken and Mushroom for his wife.

Clara was busy taking in the details of the renovated kitchen. "You did all this yourself? This must have taken forever."

George already had his soup so Tim handed Clara hers. "Replacing that little short wall and re-installing the upper cabinets just took a weekend. The sanding of all those cabinets was really the only time consuming part."

"And measuring." Tony gave him a grin before turning his attention back to Eva. "Isn't that right, Sweetheart? Uncle Timmy measures everything – and with a laser."

Tim didn't roll his eyes, but probably only because it was a holiday and they had company. "Measuring like that meant that I was able to get a stainless overlay for the counters instead of having to replace them in their entirety." It was an old argument and Gibbs and Tony did roll their eyes, but in jest.

"You mean that the old counters are under there? You didn't have to tear them out?"

He held out his hands, showing the layers. "The original counter tops, quarter-inch plywood, then the stainless, all glued together with liquid nails. We painted the cabinets inside and out, installed the counters, then new hardware and appliances. A few weeks later we did the backsplash after the tile came in. It was back-ordered, but worth the wait."

Hearing that, George leaned closer to look at the iridescent mosaic tiles that covered the wall between the counter tops and the bottom of the upper cabinets. "You did that? Does that mean that you did the tile floors in the laundry room and the little bathroom?"

They were all moving into the family room. "I took a class on it right after I bought the house and the utility room was the first time I laid tile."

"And as you can tell, he's been getting fancier every time he lays tile." Tony grinned as he bragged on his friend. "His last tile job was redoing the upstairs bathroom. Ask him to show it to you later."

Introductions were made and Vance greeted the newcomers before turning to Tim and Tony. "Which one of you is the cook?"

Tim pointed at Tony. "He made the minestrone and the tomato basil."

Then Tony pointed at Tim. "And he made the creamy chicken and mushroom and all the bread bowls."

Everybody, including Vance, looked to Gibbs next. He just laughed and shook his head. "I'm just the official taste tester."

The doorbell rang and Tim went to answer it, greeting Ellie and Jake and leading them into the kitchen to get them fed. More neighbors and the rest of the crew from the Agency arrived, all bearing either baby gifts or desserts or both. Soon the house was filled with laughter and good cheer. Even Fornell, Emily and Diane arrived, a few of the neighbors recognizing Gibbs' ex-wife.

-NCIS-

"Tobias, where are we going?"

"Just need to drop off a gift. Then we can go home."

Diane leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. They'd just picked Emily up from a friend's and she was ready to go back home. She had a ton of wrapping to do and she'd forgotten to thaw out the turkey for Christmas dinner. "And you couldn't have done this earlier?"

In answer, he gave her a sassy grin. Diane stared hard at him for a moment, then recognized the street they were on. "We're going to Jethro's?"

"Not exactly. We're going to McGee's."

"Chuckie? He lives around here now?"

"Next street over from Jethro. Their back yards share a fence."

"Okay, then why are we going there on Christmas Eve?"

"To drop off a present."

"You have a Christmas present for Chuckie?"

Emily piped up from the back seat, having spotted the present. "The tag says it's to Eva, whoever that is."

"She's DiNozzo's little girl."

Diane looked back at the present Emily was now holding. She recognized the wrapping paper as coming from a baby boutique near their home. "Tony DiNozzo has a kid? Will wonders never cease. So, one of his ex-girlfriends came up pregnant and he actually managed to get visitations? That still doesn't answer why we're going to see Chuckie."

Instead of just answering her, Tobias pulled over to the curb and killed the engine.

"Tobias?"

"You remember Ziva? On Gibbs' team?"

"Of course. Wait a minute, are you saying that she's the baby's mother?"

"As I understand it, he thought it was the real thing – right up to the moment she dumped him, never mentioning the fact that she was pregnant. The baby was born premature with lots of complications and Ziva abandoned the baby at the hospital."

"Good Lord."

"Yeah. This all happened overseas and Ziva's aunt took the baby in without anyone telling DiNozzo what had happened."

"But obviously he found out somehow."

"After the aunt died, a... mutual acquaintance told McGee..."

"Who then told Tony." Diane noticed the way Tobias stumbled over exactly who had told about the baby, but she decided to leave it alone for now. "Tony has custody now?"

"Yep, full custody. Everything happened pretty quick and his apartment was a child-free building, so he and the baby moved in with McGee. It's a big house and he's got the space. They're kind of an odd couple, but it works and Jethro is the little girl's honorary grandfather."

"Grandpa Jethro? And you kept this a secret from me?" Oh, how she loved making Tobias squirm. He just glared at her.

"Hey, I'm taking you to see now, aren't I? You get to see Jethro with the baby and McGee's fancy house, all at the same time."

McGee's fancy house, the back yards that shared a fence, it had been many years, but... "Oh my God, Chuckie lives on the street behind Jethro, the one with those expensive houses."

"Isn't that what I've been saying?"

Diane wiggled in her seat in anticipation. This was going to be fun. "Well, let's get this show on the road."

-NCIS-

"Hello, Diane." They'd been taking turns getting the door and it was just his luck that Tobias arrived with Diane and Emily on his turn. She looked way too pleased as she kissed his cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Jethro." She spotted the dining room and her eyes went huge. "Oh, my."

Using the distraction, Gibbs managed to peel her off of him. "I'll let Tobias give you the tour. He knows where everything is."

-NCIS-

Eva went down on schedule, since she was too young to understand the hoopla, and the rest of the guests were gone by 2100 so the serious wrapping began. Gibbs chuckled as he watched his two boys figure out and wrap a variety of toys for Eva designed to help her gain better motor skills, along with a ton of stuffed animals and dolls.

"You know what she's going to like the best?"

"What?" Two sets of green eyes stared at him intently as they both obviously hoped to have been the purchaser of the top toy.

Gibbs almost hated to disappoint them. "The paper."

-NCIS-

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Told you so."

Everything had been unwrapped and the brightly colored paper was strewn all over the family room. Eva was laying on her blanket and had managed to grab one of the larger pieces and was shaking it, squealing at the top of her lungs every time it made a noise.

"Yeah, he did." Tim was videotaping Eva's fun and grinned at Tony. "We should know better than to question the master."

Abby was sitting on the floor next to Gibbs' feet and that made her laugh. "Took you guys long enough to figure that one out." Wisely, Gibbs didn't say anything, but he looked very amused sitting there with his coffee.

* * *

 **A/N - Meant to post this last night, but I got home late from a write-in and pretty much fell into bed. Another chapter will be up as soon as I get back from taking the kids to school (and getting coffee).**


	24. Chapter 24

Having Christmas off meant that they were on call for New Year's Eve, but it was still pretty slow. None of them seemed to have any real plans, but they were still antsy to get out of there.

Ellie was staring at the clock. "Jake and I always stay home on New Year's Eve. We order a pizza and a bunch of appetizers and sit on the bed, eating and watching old monster movies. There's nothing like ringing in the new year with good old Godzilla vs Mothra."

"Godzilla vs Mothra? You're joking, right?"

DiNozzo stood up for her. "Don't knock the classics, McGee."

"That's a classic?"

Tony gave a dramatic sigh as he looked at Bishop. "You see what I put up with?"

"You have my sympathies, Tony. So what are you guys going to do tonight?"

Before he could answer, Tony's cell phone rang. He grinned as he punched at his phone to answer it. "Hey, Carl, it's been ages. What'ya up to, man?"

"Oh, man, that sounds great, but I don't think I can make it."

"No, really. Okay, yeah, if something changes, I'll be there – but don't hold your breath. Hey, the boss is coming, I gotta go."

Gibbs really did appear just moments later, walking over to shut off his monitors. "Keep your phones handy, but if we don't get a call-out, I'll see everyone on the second."

It kind of sounded like even Tony and McGee weren't going to be seeing him unless there was a case. "Got plans, Gibbs?"

Gibbs answered Bishop's question with a glare trained on McGee. "Yeah, thanks to him."

"What did I do?"

"Diane has been talking non-stop about your house ever since Christmas and Fornell has decided to make her happy by redoing the kitchen."

"How'd you get roped into helping?"

Gibbs paused his movements at Tony's question. "I don't know."

"Losing your touch there, Boss." Tony was walking past Gibbs as he felt a familiar but light sting on the back of his head.

"Not totally, DiNozzo."

-NCIS-

"So what did Carl want? It sounded fun." They were back home after picking up Eva. It was still early so Eva was having a bottle of apple juice.

Tony had a wistful look on his face. "Yeah, he's short a guy for his annual New Year's Eve bash, invited me to come."

"So go."

Tony glanced down at the little girl in Tim's arms. "I can't."

"I'm going to be home, so go. You haven't had an evening to yourself in months."

"You sure? You could always go out tonight."

"Nah, not really my style. Besides, Delilah always hinted at having a New Year's Eve wedding, so I really don't want to go celebrate tonight."

"Ouch." Tony had to wince. He'd had no idea that today would have been his friend's wedding day. "I'm sorry, man."

"It is what it is." The smile was a little forced, but not totally. "But now I've got my favorite girl in my arms and all the apple juice I can drink. What more does a guy need? Go, you deserve a night out."

"Okay, if you're sure." Tony laughed and called his friend back as Tim shooed him upstairs to change.

-NCIS-

"That's my girl, you did it." Eva was finally mastering the act of swallowing something thicker than her formula instead of pushing it out with her tongue, and managed to eat an entire serving. It was late enough that he'd just go ahead and give her her bath rather than a quick wipe down. He'd just taken her out of her chair when a set of headlights flashed in the dining room window and reflected on the wall where he could see. Walking through the kitchen and into the doorway of the dining room he could see a rented Mercedes parking where he normally parked the Prius. A rented luxury car meant one person and Tim let out a groan as he walked to the front door.

"Mr. DiNozzo, what a surprise. I don't believe Tony knew you were going to be in town. Come on in."

"Thank you, Timothy. Senior stepped inside, but just barely. "If you could let Junior know that I'm here, I'd appreciate it."

Tim shifted Eva around, preparing to let her grandfather give her a hug. "Actually, he's not here. He's at a New Year's Eve party with some friends."

"Excellent. It's past time that he started getting out there again." Eva reached out and he noticed her sticky fingers and face. "It looks like I interrupted somebody getting cleaned up. Tell Junior I stopped by and I'll catch up with him the next time I'm in town."

Senior was moving back, keeping his designer suit out of Eva's reach, but Tim felt he had to try something. "You're welcome to stay, sir. I'm sure Eva would love to have you read her a bedtime story."

"No, that's quite all right. I don't want to interrupt your routine." With a very fake smile, he turned and left, not even bothering to close the door behind him. Tim watched him closely and he didn't even wave at Eva when he backed out onto the street.

-NCIS-

Ziva carefully checked her make-up in her small mirror. After months of slowly developing a relationship with him, her cover as herself, a bitter, disillusioned former Mossad agent was securely in place and she'd been asked to accompany him to his family home. The limo door opened and Emil leaned in.

"Kamaal will join you in a moment, Miss David. May I get you anything while you are waiting?"

"Thank you, but no. All I need is Kamaal at my side." When the door closed, she smiled. She would find the man's weakness and use that to discover all his secrets. Only then would she destroy him.

From the private airport, it was about an hour's drive to the house. Once there, Emil carried their luggage upstairs. Claiming to want to freshen up, Ziva followed him up the winding staircase. The bedroom was huge and lavish. Once Emil left her alone, she began to explore. There were three doors, not including the one into the hall. She found the bathroom and the large closet through the first two doors. Expecting possibly a private study, she pushed open the third, a heavy set of double doors, to find a nursery, the furniture covered in sheets.

None of her background checks on the man had ever indicated a child, even though he'd been married twice. Before she could figure out what it meant, a shadow fell over her and she spun around to find her target standing directly behind her.

"Kamaal, I am sorry, I did not mean to intrude."

"It is all right, my love. Perhaps someday you will help me put this sadness behind me."

There was a strange look on his face that she couldn't identify, but she smiled and moved closer for a kiss. "Anything, darling. Tell me what saddens you and I will move heaven and earth to fix it."

"All I have ever wanted was a child. A little boy to raise up to take over the family business, or a little girl to spoil."

"You would not spoil a little boy or raise up a little girl to take over the family business?"

"Either way, I would give them the world."

Ziva felt a shiver of excitement shoot down her back. "And the mother of this future child, what would you do for her?"

"She would be my partner in everything. Unfortunately the doctors tell me that will never happen, I will never father a child."

"You could adopt."

"I am a powerful man, Ziva David, and men of power make powerful enemies as you well know. A public adoption would not be wise." He smiled and took her hand before leading her out of the shrouded room. "Enough sadness for today. Dance for me, Ziva. Show me your passion."

-NCIS-

"Gear up." The way that Gibbs slammed his phone down and jumped to his feet told them this wasn't a run of the mill case. "McGee and Bishop in the truck. DiNozzo, take one sedan, I've got another." He scribbled a copy of the address down and tossed it to Bishop as they scrambled to catch up with him. In the elevator she plugged the address into her phone before sending it to Tony's.

Tony and Tim exchanged a look, trying to remember the last time Gibbs had reacted to a case like this. "Boss, what have we got?"

Gibbs gave Tony a careful look before he answered him. "Missing child. Three year old boy. Apparently vanished from his room sometime last night."

"Shit." Tony closed his eyes for a second. Yeah, this was going to be bad.

A long row of base housing, the only thing differentiating them was the landscaping. This was the only house without flower beds in front. Granted, nothing was blooming this time of the year, but it was noticeable. The lawn was kept to regulations, but nothing had been done beyond what the Corps expected. Tony had never planted anything before he moved in with McGee, but now that lack of attention set his gut pinging.

Inside, the parents were sitting quietly, surrounded by squad mates and neighbors. Gibbs watched them for a moment before issuing orders. "DiNozzo and Bishop, perimeter of the house."

Thinking of his own little girl, Tony was almost grateful for the assignment, the chance to get lost in the gathering of every scrap of evidence. If somebody had removed this child from his home, they'd find out. If this child had wandered away, they'd find him. Either way, he could be doing something right now and not listening to the painful fears of another parent.

"Come on, Bishop, we've got work to do."

-NCIS-

The parents weren't jumping up and running toward him so Gibbs found the highest ranking man in the room. "Colonel, I'm Special Agent Gibbs, this is Special Agent McGee."

"I'm Colonel Bradshaw, I appreciate you getting here so quickly."

"What can you tell us so far?"

"Not much. I got a panicked call from one of my men that his little boy had vanished. I put the call in to NCIS and notified the MP's to lock the base down and start a search. There's only about ten houses on base that aren't occupied and that's because they're undergoing repairs. Our men are checking those first, along with every playground, culvert and wooded area. If little Zachariah wandered off on his own, we'll find him."

"Good. Just make sure your men don't get too close to this house. We're sweeping the outside for evidence."

"Of course. Let me introduce you and Agent McGee to his parents."

Two agents weren't needed to get statements from the parents, at least not yet – not when they had a child to find. "McGee?"

"I'll start on the boy's room, Boss."

A nod and he was gone. If they didn't find this little boy curled up with a found puppy soon, this case would become horrific for his team but they were professionals and he had every confidence in them.

Bradshaw squatted down and touched the father's knee. "Sergeant Rask, this is Special Agent Gibbs. He and his team are going to find Zach and bring him home."

Gibbs winced at the promise, one that he prayed he could keep. Dressed in field gear, the father already looked tired as he stared up at Gibbs. Gibbs wouldn't promise something he couldn't absolutely deliver, but he'd give all the support and encouragement he could. "My people are the best at what we do, Sergeant. We're going to do everything humanly possible to bring your boy home."

"Thank you."

"Need to ask you some questions." Gibbs pulled out his notebook and pen. "When was the last time you saw your son?"

"Bedtime. We tucked him in at his normal time."

"Window closed?" He got a nod. "Locked?"

"No, it's a safe neighborhood. At least we thought it was. We're on the base, it's supposed to be safe, right?"

Gibbs didn't have an answer to that. "Did you hear any noises last night? Anything happen that was out of the ordinary?"

"No, we watched a movie, then went to bed about 2200. I woke up about 0530, wife got up about 0600 and went in to wake Zach up, but he wasn't in his bed. We searched the house and when we didn't find him I notified my command."

Gibbs turned to the wife. "And you, ma'am, can you add anything else?" She slowly shook her head, not looking up. Her husband squeezed her hand tighter and rubbed her back. Gibbs tried again. "Do you have a picture of Zach?"

Again no reaction from the wife, but the Sergeant got up to find a picture. Gibbs looked around more as he waited, spotting a wedding picture on the mantle. The Sergeant was in his dress uniform while his wife was wearing a knee length white dress. The surprise was the little boy clinging to his father.

"Zach was born before the two of you got married?"

Rask brought over a little more current picture. "Zach is my son from my first marriage. Dani is his stepmother."

An ex-spouse could complicate things. "What's the custody arrangement you have with your ex? Has there been any problems on that end?"

For the first time Rask showed some emotion. "I have full custody. Leanne can't even be bothered to show up for a visit and forget about child support. We haven't seen a dime from her in the last year."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"Dani's and my wedding." Rask handed over the picture and Gibbs studied the small face. For some reason he reminded Gibbs of Eva, which he couldn't quite shake.

The parents were moved to a hotel and Gibbs went to see what McGee had found so far. "Anything?"

"Nobody took him out the window." Tim pointed out what he'd seen. "The sash is painted shut, looks like it's been that way for a couple of years – and, Boss?"

Gibbs turned away from the window at the strange tone in McGee's voice. "What?"

"I've bagged up the bedding so Abby can determine it for sure, but those sheets haven't been slept in. I'd bet a month's salary on it."

If anyone on the team was a laundry expert, it was McGee and Gibbs figured the man's pay was pretty safe. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, take a look at the door frame. Isn't he a little old for a baby gate?"

Gibbs followed McGee back to the door where some rub marks were evident on the jam, about two feet up. He looked closer and found a matching set of marks right above the floor. McGee was right, that's what most likely caused the marks and Gibbs tried to find a reasonable explanation. "Well, it's been a few years since the place was painted."

"Look higher up."

It was less evident, but a second set of marks were above the first and Gibbs didn't like what he was seeing. "Parents are gone, search the entire house. I'm going to see what Tony and Bishop have found outside." He was pretty sure he knew what the answer was going to be, but it had to be done.

-NCIS-

Gear in hand, Tony stopped Ellie before she even stepped off the sidewalk. What he was looking at threw up a big red flag. "Wait, look at the grass." He squatted down and she did the same. He could tell from the look on her face that she didn't know what he was looking for, but she'd see it soon enough. "Tell me what you see."

Ellie looked frustrated by the lesson in the middle of the crime scene. "It's grass. It's wet with dew." Her eyes widened as she made the connection. "If somebody had walked on it, the dew would be disturbed, knocked off."

"Yep." Tony was already on the move, needing to look at the yard from a different angle while she struggled to photograph the grass from the correct angle to show that it was undisturbed. Finally she got the pictures she wanted and hurried to catch up with Tony.

Three more angles examined and photographed showed that no one had walked up to or away from the window since the dew had settled on the grass.

"Bishop, is there a way to determine the exact time the dew would have started to form?"

"Umm, maybe? Probably? I'll figure it out."

"Good girl. Now we can move in."

-NCIS-

Three hours later and every scrap of possible evidence had been gathered and bagged. Even the food from the kitchen was ready for Abby to test. "Bishop, you drive the truck back to the Yard will all this so Abby can get started." Gibbs looked over at McGee, who had copied the data from family's computer over to a laptop and was currently buried in the family's online life. "Hopefully somebody will find us something soon."

"Okay, umm, what are you and Tony going to be doing?"

Gibbs' phone rang at that moment so Tony answered her instead. "We're going to be joining in on the search until the entire base is covered."

The call was short and remarkable as Gibbs didn't say a word during it. "Boss?"

"Bishop, forget going back to the Yard. We've got a new crime scene."

They didn't have to ask, one look at his face told them the answer. Tony closed his eyes for a moment before calling Ducky.

-NCIS-

Little Zachariah Rask was found at the bottom of a small creek along the northern edge of the base, wearing his Batman pajamas, an Iron Man temporary tattoo on his hand. The water wasn't deep, if the boy had been standing it would have only been waist high, which was the first red flag about the scene.

Ducky had no stories to tell as he tenderly examined the body and prepared it for transport. The boy was small for his age and Gibbs wanted to hit something. "Time of death, Duck?"

"With the frigid water, I will have to do more testing once we take him home, Jethro." Gibbs gave him a sharp look and Ducky subtly shook his head and lowered his voice. "Back at the Yard, Jethro. There are too many ears out here."

Gibbs looked at the somber faces of the MP's and the Marines that had been searching for hours in the bitter cold. "Find out what you can. We'll be there as soon as we can clear the scene."

"Understood. Come, Mr. Palmer, let's take this wee one home."

A search grid was established and they got to work. With as many searchers as had been on the scene, the ground was pretty trampled, but a bloody rock was found at the top of the hill. One of the MP's stared at it as Bishop took pictures.

"You think he fell and hit his head, then rolled into the creek?"

"Maybe." There was something about the scene that was bugging Ellie, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Instead, she took lots of pictures from every angle until the MP got bored and left her alone.

-NCIS-

"What have we got?" Three sorrowful faces looked up at him. A year ago he would have snapped and yelled, but too much had happened over the last year. Instead, Gibbs motioned them closer. Bishop moved quickly, while the boys were a little slower – probably expecting a head slap. Instead, he wrapped his hands around the base of each of their skulls while looking directly at Bishop. "We never had a chance to save him so all we can do now is to make sure he rests in peace."

She nodded and wiped her eyes. Gibbs gave his boys an extra squeeze before everyone pulled back and re-grouped. Gibbs tried it again. "Okay, what have we got?"

McGee started first. "At approximately 0200 this morning, someone wiped and reformatted the Rask family computer."

"You're sure about the time, McGee?"

There was no heat behind Tony's question and Tim gave a slow nod. "Yeah, which means they were lying to us from the beginning."

"Can you reconstruct what was there?"

"Maybe. It was more than just them wiping what was there, Boss. At about 0400 they were finished with that and started downloading movies."

"Why?"

"When you do a forensic sweep of a computer that's been wiped clean, you can find bits and pieces."

Gibbs nodded at that. He'd seen McGee pull fragments out of the ether for years. "Yeah, okay?"

"When new data is downloaded on top of those faint fragments..."

The implication was clear. "Shit."

"And something else, Boss – there were no fingerprints on the computer. Everything had been wiped clean before we got there. I found multiple latex gloves in their trash and Abby is trying to get prints off the inside of them. Even if she does, we don't have any way of linking those gloves to the computer."

A child turning up dead on a Marine Corps base was bad enough. If word got out that they already suspected the family, it would be a disaster. "This isn't going to be pretty. I need to bring Vance up to speed. McGee, keep on that computer, see if you can pull anything at all off of it. Bishop, deep background on the parents, also the biological mother. See exactly what her story is."

"And me, Boss?"

He didn't want Tony any closer to the family than necessary. Not to the parents that might have killed little Zach and certainly not to the mother that had abandoned him. "Neighbors, co-workers, squad mates. Before we start throwing accusations at the parents, we need to make sure we're rattled all the other possible cages."

Tony didn't argue, which told Gibbs he understood the assignments on every level. Once the three of them were working, Gibbs grabbed his empty cup and jogged up the stairs.

Vance was waiting for him. "Talk to me, Gibbs."

"No hard evidence yet, but the parents are already looking pretty shaky. Can prove they lied to us about their activities the night before the boy vanished."

"How long before you get evidence?"

"Working on it. Between the house and the body site, we brought enough back to keep Abby swamped for days."

"If she needs help, we'll pull in another lab. I don't have to tell you that this is one hell of a mess, Gibbs. Before we can even think about accusing a decorated Marine of doing something to his own kid, we need solid, hard evidence. SecNav has already taken an interest in this case. I don't have to tell you to tread lightly on this one."

Gibbs hated politics, but not as much as he hated anyone that would harm a child. "Don't I always?"

"Funny, Gibbs. Real funny."

In answer to Vance's comment, Gibbs gave a wave as he went out the door.

His next stop was Autopsy. "Talk to me, Duck."

The autopsy hadn't been started yet, but Ducky was carefully examining the body while Palmer hovered with a camera. Ducky pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Did you notice the stones wedged around his ankles, Jethro?"

He had, but hoped that he'd been wrong. "He didn't get his foot caught in the rocks, he was weighted down?"

"Yes, and even taking into account the temperature of the water, this boy had been dead for at least fourteen hours, probably closer to sixteen hours when he'd been found."

"So, he was dead before his parents tucked him into bed. Strange that they didn't notice that."

Ducky sighed. "I'll confirm it when I open up his lungs, but this child did not drown. At least not in that creek."

Gibbs thought about it for a moment. "Accidental death that they tried to cover up?"

"That I don't know yet, Jethro."

"This one is going to be messy, I need answers and I need enough evidence to prove it from every direction."

"Understood."

His final stop was the lab. "What ya' got, Abs?"

"Not much." She was subdued, the music off. "McGee was right about the sheets. I went over every inch and there's not one flake of skin cells. They're freshly washed. The outsides of the latex gloves are spotless, too. It's like they were washed after they finished whatever they were doing. I got fingerprints from the inside, but that doesn't tell us anything."

"Prints from the husband or the wife?"

"Both."

"Tells us that whatever happened, they were in it together." Her eyes widened at his words and she started working again. Gibbs watched for a moment, then turned to go back upstairs.

-NCIS-

By 1800, they were spinning their wheels, waiting for information that wouldn't come in until morning. Gibbs tossed his pen onto his desk in frustration and looked at his team. They were all working hard, but no matter how hard they worked, no answers would come tonight. "Pack it in, people. I want everybody back here bright and early tomorrow."

Ellie looked grateful to be leaving. Child homicides were hard, especially your first, and Gibbs was glad to see her already on the phone with her husband, arranging to meet him for a late dinner. Gibbs hurried and left with Tony and Tim instead of waiting for them to leave.

"You boys got something for dinner at home?"

"Nothing thawed."

That made sense. The case had pulled them in much earlier than normal. "You guys pick up Eva, I'll swing by the diner for us."

-NCIS-

Tim couldn't remember the last time a case had him so drained. If he'd been alone, he'd have taken a cab home instead of driving, but he wasn't alone so he took a deep breath and concentrated on driving. First to the day care, and then home. Once Eva was in the car with them, it was a little easier and listening to her squeals and coos helped him relax.

Arriving home, they took turns cuddling with Eva, both of them on the family room couch with her when Gibbs arrived with the food. It wasn't a surprise when Gibbs set the bags on the table and continued on into the family room, happily taking Eva when Tony lifted her up. They ate quietly, not even bothering to move to the table. Instead, Gibbs got a fire going in the fireplace and they sat on the floor, takeout boxes balanced on their knees.

Nothing was said about the case, nothing could be said, really, until they had hard evidence but Tim now wondered if this was how Gibbs felt during every case involving a child. If it was, he didn't know how he could stand it.

After Eva went down for the night, Gibbs gave them both a sad smile and a squeeze of the shoulder before he left. Tony locked up after him before looking at McGee. "Basement, bourbon, boat, I get it now."

"Yeah, me, too."

* * *

 **a/n - I'm running early, so I snuck this in. Now I'm heading out.**


	25. Chapter 25

The entire team walked into Autopsy that morning, Gibbs in the lead with Bishop holding both Tony and Tim's hands. Gibbs paused in the door, which was a first, but the body was still tucked away in a drawer. Satisfied that his kids weren't going to see the body cut open, he lead them inside.

"Duck?"

"Ah, Jethro, come in. As I suspected, there was no water in the boy's lungs."

"So he did hit his head on that rock and fall into the water?" Ellie had been the one to photograph the rock, but she sounded a long way from convinced.

"Blunt force trauma to the head was the cause of death, my dear, but it wasn't from that rock." Ducky stepped over to the x-rays mounted on the wall and flipped on the light.

The tiny skull showed damage, but when Ducky next held up a photo of the rock in question, they could see the problem. The damage to the skull was broad, as if he'd been hit by something large and flat, but the bloody rock had been sharp and pointed. "However, this is where it gets interesting."

Ducky moved over to the bank of drawers. They all saw him pause and take a deep breath before opening one of the drawers and sliding the body tray out. The sheet covered form was so small that even Gibbs felt his breath catch in his chest. Ducky folded the sheet back far enough to expose the head.

Someone had taken a great deal of time returning the body to near pristine condition, the stitches barely visible along the hair line If it wasn't for the gray tone of the body and the lack of bandages one could almost believe that little Zachariah Rask had survived his injuries. Ducky carefully rolled the body to show the injury site on the back of his partially shaved head. "Do you see that, Jethro?"

The bruise that matched up with the fatal injury was at least the size of his hand, but right in the center was a smaller spot where the skin had been broken. Gibbs looked closer at the picture of the rock. "There's no way that bruise is from that rock."

"No, it's not and there's not enough blood for the second injury to happen while the boy was still alive. In fact, substantial time passed between the two events. Little Zach died from a sub-dermal hematoma that took hours to become fatal."

"What other signs of abuse did you find, Ducky?"

The question had come from McGee, who had a strange look on his face, but Ducky had an immediate answer.

"I found minor inflammation in his shoulders and elbows. Also signs of minor whiplash in his neck. He was also underweight for his age and height. Not dangerously so, but enough that a doctor should have noticed. I also found one bruise that happened shortly before his death. Close enough to the time of death that we had to use an infrared camera to show it completely."

Ducky first moved the sheet to show the bruise on the boy's upper arm. It was noticeable, but the edges were undefined. On the picture, the shape of a hand could be seen. The measurements along the side showed that it had been blown up to real size and Tony reached out and laid his hand over the bruise. It was a lot bigger than the hand that actually left the bruise. "Damn it."

-NCIS-

"What ya' got, Abs?"

It was a familiar question, but this time she didn't think she had enough. "Not much, Gibbs. Everything from the house was scrubbed. I mean really scrubbed. Maybe the mom is a real clean freak, but it didn't leave me much." She was sitting down and rolled her chair over to pick up some print-outs and handed the first one to Gibbs. "There wasn't much in his stomach, but when I analyzed it, it was dirt and sheet rock and some other stuff I haven't identified yet."

"No food at all?"

"Not in his stomach, no. Ducky is getting me some samples from further down his intestinal tract. I'll start testing as soon as I get it."

"So, that's all you've got?"

The second sheet was handed over. "The blood on the rock was really acidic. That shows that he was already dead when that happened. Of course you probably already know that because there wasn't very much blood there and head wounds bleed a lot, but – you know – it's confirmation."

They had enough for suspicion but not enough proof yet. Not enough to satisfy the SecNav and the hordes of reporters that were already gathering. Gibbs looked at his team. "Get me more evidence."

-NCIS-

He gave them an hour, which meant that he started to ask questions after fifty-five minutes. "What have we got so far?"

Tony started first. "Nothing stands out about the neighbors. No fights, no drunken parties. Nobody within six blocks of the Rask house has ever had any kind of a run-in with the base MP's. Mrs. Rask has a mother living in Montana and an uncle in Vermont, neither of which she's particularly close to. Looks like she talks to her mother on holidays and the last contact with her uncle was at the wedding. None of the known babysitters on base have ever sat for them, Zach wasn't part of any of the playgroups on base and he didn't attend either of the pre-schools on base."

"They were isolated."

"Looks that way. None of the neighbors remember ever seeing Zach at the playground even."

It was very early in the year, not quite spring, but still... "How long have they been on base?"

Tony glanced at his notes. "Three months. I've got a call in to the Family Resource Office at their last posting to check there."

"Stay on that, DiNozzo. Bishop, parents?"

Bishop didn't look happy at what little she'd found. "Dad's service record is exemplary. He's done almost solid, back to back tours in Iraq and Afghanistan since he got married. He's been awarded two purple hearts and a list of medals as long as my arm. Stepmom has never been in trouble before. Grew up in Montana. Like Tony said, her mother is still there. Her father's been out of the picture for years."

"Why?"

"I... I don't know."

"Find out. What do you have on the biological mother?"

"Died six weeks ago of a drug overdose." Ellie bit her lip before telling the rest. "Gibbs, the Sergeant was notified when it happened. Why would he leave that part out?"

"Damned good question, Bishop."

"I know – find out."

"Yep."

McGee was up next and for the first time since they'd had the call-out, he had a ghost of a smile. "Mrs. Rask forgot to sign out of Google after she downloaded the movies, so last night her computer automatically repopulated her bookmarks."

"Really? Did that tell you what they were doing on that computer?"

"No, their recent history was gone, but it did tell me what sites they were interested in enough to save. Some really off the wall alternative treatments for autism, for developmental delays, things like that."

DiNozzo was staring at him. "How off the wall are we talking about?"

"Bleach enemas, pretty high doses of nicotine, those were the two that really stood out, but she seemed to follow every quack out there. I sent the list to Abby and she's testing everything Ducky got off the body to see if they went past the reading stage. There's one discussion forum that they've got bookmarked three different places so I'm trying to piece together enough fragments to determine their log-in information, see what they've been talking about."

"Good, that's good. Keep on that, McGee. I'm going for coffee." Gibbs left, bypassing his usual coffee cart for the one his kids preferred. They'd all earned a treat.

-NCIS-

Waiting for his suitcase at baggage claim, Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. pulled out his phone. "Gregory, it's Anthony. I just arrived in DC. No, I haven't let my son know I was coming. It's better this way, but don't worry. It may take a bit to get him to come around, but eventually he'll understand what a generous offer you're making. He's a perfect fit to take over the security for our international division."

-NCIS-

"Bishop, where in the hell are the parents?"

"According to the Sergeant's commander, they're picking out a casket and meeting with a funeral director. They'll be here when that's done."

"Really?" Gibbs shook his head. As far as the parents knew, they'd been asked to come down and be given an update on the search for Zach's killer. Most parents considered that to be pretty important, but then most parents would demand to see their child the moment he was found and that had never happened either.

Tony slammed his desk drawer hard enough to make both Bishop and McGee jump and Gibbs decided that was enough. It wasn't quite the end of the work day, but it was close enough. "Tony, go home."

"What? No, Boss, I can handle it."

Gibbs shook his head. "You're too close to this one. Go pick up Eva and spend some time cuddling." He could see the desire to do the job warring with the need to see his little girl, saw the moment Tony gave in to that need.

"You sure, Boss?"

"Yeah, because night time snuggles are mine, tonight. Uncle gets the morning. Go on, Tony, we got this."

-NCIS-

Up until this case Tony hadn't thought juggling family and a case load to be a hardship, hadn't understood how easy it was to lose control on a suspect. He'd thought he knew, but the reality was harsh and painful. It really didn't take the entire team to interrogate the parents and there was no way in hell that Gibbs or Vance would ever allow him into the room with either parent. The out was offered and he felt guilty even as he took it.

There was no doubt in his mind that Tim and Gibbs loved his little girl as much as he did, but he was the only biological parent. His guilt was almost as strong as his gratitude and after he caught the car keys that Tim tossed, he decided the least he could do was to have a decent meal waiting for the both of them. Comfort food, that was the ticket. Soup didn't seem right without Tim there to make bread, so something else was in order. Enchiladas, maybe? They'd found a recipe they'd both wanted to try and tonight seemed like a good night. Get them made and just warm them back up when Tim and Gibbs got home. Now that he had a plan to take care of the rest of his family, Tony felt a lot better about leaving.

His leaving coincided with the arrival of the parents and he watched as they were escorted into different interrogation rooms. Tony debated staying to watch, but reading the report tomorrow about how they managed to kill their little boy was going to be bad enough.

-NCIS-

Bishop had both watched and participated in a fair number of interrogations by now, but she'd never seen Gibbs and McGee like this. They both donned earwigs and hidden mics so they could track what was going on in the other room, effectively tag-teaming the couple in secret. Ellie would be in the middle observation room watching both interviews while techs would be filming and recording each interview.

The parents had balked at being separated, but McGee told the wife how it was necessary to review the events separately, that rules required it, but as soon as they'd gone through the night Zach had vanished, they'd be able to be together. She bought it and Gibbs repeated the same line to Sergeant Rask, almost word for word, adding in that Agent McGee would be able to understand her grief, having become a step-parent recently.

Ellie blinked at that and several of the techs raised an eyebrow, but nothing was said.

-NCIS-

For Christmas, Eva had been given a high chair. She had to be securely strapped in, and the chair in the slightly reclining position, but having her make that jump seemed to be proof that she was finally gaining ground. She'd also mostly mastered eating solids instead of pushing them out of her mouth with her tongue, so a few cheerios were on the tray. Mostly she swept them from one side to the other, but occasionally she managed to get one between her fingers and sometimes it even made it up to her mouth. Tony watched her carefully as he assembled the enchiladas.

Once the enchiladas were ready to go into the oven, Tony covered the pan with foil and stuck them in the refrigerator before sitting down in front of Eva with a jar of baby food. The tray was empty, so he gave her a few more cheerios, mostly to distract her as he got the peas down her.

Tony watched his little girl as she struggled to eat. Probably every fourth bite ended up getting pushed back out of her mouth, but it was a vast improvement and he quickly caught it with her spoon and popped it back into her mouth to try again. She'd made gains, there was no doubt, but Tony also knew that she was way behind her peers that were crawling well and pulling themselves up and trying to walk. He didn't care, not really, but now he understood Ducky's questions when they'd first arrived home from Israel.

"Daddy loves you, Sweetheart, just the way you are, and you're going to have a safe childhood. You're never going to live in fear of someone you're supposed to feel safe with." He remembered the parade of step-mothers that had marched through his life. The sounds of yelling echoed through his head. The drinking, the dishes being thrown. He remembered being slapped a few times and he remembered a few sudden moves to get away from one of his father's failing marriages. "Nope, Eva, you're never going to live like that."

A knock on the door interrupted his musings and he tossed a few more cheerios on the tray for Eva as he went to answer the door. Hopefully, it was Mrs. Olson, who had a knack for bringing over treats at just the right moment. Smiling at the thought, he swung open the door.

"Dad, what are you doing here?"

-NCIS-

 _You're lying to me, Sergeant._

Rask stared up at Gibbs in shock and Ellie wondered exactly what they were doing. In the other room, McGee was being very gentle with the step-mother, slowly leading her through the days before Zach died.

 _It must have been very hard, raising Zach._

She was staring at the table, using her fingernail to trace the fake wood grain.

 _Wasn't exactly what I signed up for, you know? His mother gave him up just a couple of days after our wedding. We didn't even get a freaking honeymoon, had to come back early to take care of him. Then Josh shipped out a few weeks later._

 _He's been deployed a lot, hasn't he? Left you alone with his kid and all the work._

A tear dropped onto the table. _Yeah._

Ellie found the differences between the two men and their styles fascinating and very indicative of their personalities. She could almost imagine the words having an impact on Gibbs and sure enough he slammed his fists down on the table in room one.

 _Man up, Marine. Face what happened._

He threw the pictures onto the table, showing Rask's lifeless son. Rask flinched, his stoic mask finally showing a crack.

-NCIS-

Tony blinked, but it was still his father standing on the porch. He'd prefer to leave him there, but he couldn't stand there and argue, not with Eva in her high chair. Reluctantly, he led his father in and back to the breakfast nook. "Didn't know you were in town, Dad. Heard you dropped by on New Years, though. Too bad you couldn't stay, actually spend time with your granddaughter."

"Yes, well, I didn't want to disturb McGee." Senior bent down a little to better see Eva in her chair, watching closely as she captured a stray cheerio and managed to get it up to her mouth. "She can feed herself now?"

"It's been almost two months since you spent any time with her, Dad. She's developmentally delayed, not brain dead." Tony just wanted to get this over with and jumped right in. "Now, why are you here?"

Senior straightened up and looked around, waving his arms at the home Tony now shared with Tim. "All of this, it's got to be hard to do on your own."

Tony could feel the skin on the back of his neck tighten up. "I'm not alone. I have Tim and I have Gibbs."

"Yeah? So where are they?"

"Aboard the Yard, closing a child abuse murder case, so I don't have to sit there and listen to that little boy's parents try to justify why they starved and abused and beat their baby to death."

-NCIS-

 _You complained about your ex dumping the kid on you, but you did the same thing to Dani, didn't you?You buried yourself in the job, volunteered for extra deployments, left her alone to deal with Zach for months at a time._

 _We needed the extra money, the combat pay, to take care of him._

 _Bullshit. There's no record of your family ever making an attempt to get services. Were you too embarrassed to ask, to let people know he had problems?_

Rask slammed his palms down on the table. _Hell, yes, wouldn't you be?_

Ellie stared through the glass, biting her lip. Statistically, Sergeant Rask would be the most likely suspect. Large, muscular and at a high risk for PTSD after multiple deployments, it would have been easy to make him the poster child for parents that snapped, but he seemed almost as frightened as he was angered by his son's problems. Confused, she turned her attention to the other room, where McGee was still quietly talking to Dani, drawing her out of her shell.

 _What did the doctors tell you was wrong with Zach?_

She snorted and shook her head, showing the first real emotions they'd seen out of her. _Doctors, what do they know? Tests, they'll run more tests. Next week, next month, dragging it out. They weren't the ones that had to live with him._

 _How'd he react to noise?_

Dani stilled and stared at him. Ellie moved closer to the glass, knowing that he was onto something.

 _The kitchen faucet drips. Josh and I could barely hear it, but even that would set him off. I couldn't even have any music playing in the house. You'd think that someone who couldn't stand loud noises would be quiet, but he'd scream for hours sometimes._

McGee looked very sympathetic, unless you really knew him, knew what to look for in his eyes. Ellie knew she was probably missing a lot, but she could see the tightness around his eyes, saw how stiffly he was sitting.

 _What about his eating habits?_

 _Habit, that's a good word for it. Hot dogs, all he would eat was boiled hot dogs. No bun, no condiments. Nothing else, just the smell of those dammed hot dogs makes me puke now._

 _Is that why Leanne gave him up, she couldn't handle it anymore?_

 _Probably. Josh kept promising that he'd convince her to come back and share custody, but it never happened._

Ellie turned to look back into the other room. Gibbs' back was to her, but she could tell he'd straightened up even more than usual now that they'd caught Rask in another lie, this one to his wife.

 _So, more money was supposed to fix the problem, Sergeant?_

 _Zach needed extra help and that costs money. Not the kind of money I'd be getting staying stateside. Why does any of this matter? You're supposed to be finding who took my boy out and killed him._

 _Maybe it was your ex-wife? Dumping her kid like that, not very motherly if you ask me._

 _Yeah, maybe._

Even as he answered, Rask's eyes flickered down and to the left. Ellie was sure Gibbs was about to break him and wanted to watch that moment, but at the same time McGee leaned closer to Mrs. Rask, his voice raising slightly.

 _He needed everything a certain way, didn't he?_

 _Every door, every cupboard had to be closed all the time. Even the dishwasher, I would have to close it after every single thing I took out of it. Take out a clean glass, close the door, put the glass away, make sure it's exactly lined up with the rest of the glasses, close the cabinet door, open the dishwasher again, take out the next glass, close the dishwasher again, open the cabinet again and on and on. Trying to load the dishwasher was even worse, I'd have to make him stay in his room and even then he'd be watching me and screaming._

 _You didn't close his door?_

 _Couldn't, had to watch him all the time. Sit at the table and all he'd eat were those damned hot dogs, but turn you back and he'd be shoving anything in his mouth. Anything that wasn't actually edible, that is._

 _So you used a baby gate to keep him in there. Two of them actually, right? Because he got too tall and figured out how to climb over just the one?_

 _I had to do something._

 _I have some of Zach's medical records here and what I'm seeing are a lot of missed appointments. Why is that?_

That surprised Ellie. If she'd had a child with problems like they claimed Zach had, she'd have made it to every doctor's appointment, no matter what. What didn't surprise her was the fact that the stepmother had no answer. McGee started questioning her again and Ellie could see that he was closing in on the truth.

 _You were researching about autism. Ever make contact with Autism Speaks? What about Autism Now? There's support groups, therapy, respite care. You didn't reach out to any of that, did you? In fact, you also didn't tell the doctors here that he was born to a drug addicted mother, did you?_

Instead of answering, she just curled in on herself.

-NCIS-

Tony really wanted the truth out of his father before McGee got home. "Okay, Dad, what is all this about, really?"

"All right, I've got a business proposition for you. I've gone into partnership with Gregory Van Huston, he's Taylor's father-in-law. I've told him all about you and he's agreed that you would be perfect for handling the security for our international division. You could move to New York, my two granddaughters could grow up together. Just think how wonderful it would be, Junior. You and Eva need to be with family."

The potential problems would give Tony nightmares if he thought about it. "Dad, I can't just up and quit my job and move."

"Well, you can certainly give your two week notice if you insist, but I'm sure Jethro would understand."

"And that would make one of us." Tony wasn't sure if his father was deliberately misunderstanding the point, or was just that oblivious. "This is my home, Dad. This is Eva's home."

"No, this is Agent McGee's home. It's been very nice of him to let you stay here, but people are going to talk, Junior. I hear you're dating again, which is wonderful, but how do you expect to catch a woman when you're shacked up with a guy like him?"

Tony stared at his father, slowly counting to ten in an attempt to control his anger. It only worked a little. "What's wrong with Tim?"

"Well," Senior paused and Tony wanted to wipe that smirk right off his face. "He's always struck me as being a little light in the loafers, if you know what I mean."

There weren't enough numbers available to curb his anger now. Between his asinine offer, the accusations about McGee's sexuality and Senior virtually ignoring Eva, he'd had more than enough. "I'm not having this conversation with you. Tim is straight, I'm straight and this conversation is over. No, Dad, I'm not quitting my job as a federal agent to move to New York and becoming an over-glorified security guard in your latest scheme. I'm not giving up everything I have here. End of discussion. Now it's almost time for Eva's bath, so I think you should leave."

-NCIS-

Bishop felt like she was watching a very intense tennis match, trying to keep track of what was going on in each interrogation room. Gibbs had been listening in on what McGee had just said and he was mad. _You don't seem to know what goes on in your own household very much, do you, Sergeant? Or maybe it's just that you don't give a damn._

 _I told you, I was deployed most of the time._

 _Deployed when your first wife got hooked on drugs while she was pregnant?_

The look on Rask's face told Ellie just how effective this method was. In the other room, McGee was still pressing for details.

 _You never got an official diagnosis, never tried to get Zach the resources he needed because your husband needed to save face, isn't that right? Couldn't have people finding out that he'd ignored his first wife's drug habit._

 _It wasn't like that. We didn't want Zach growing up with the stigma of having those kinds of labels._

 _But at least he would still be growing up, wouldn't he? What did he do that day to piss you off? What time did he wake up?_

 _Sunrise, same as always. The tiniest bit of light or noise and he'd be up, screaming._

 _Neighbors never complained about the noise?_

 _Everybody leaves about the same time as Josh. Nobody around to hear, nobody around to help._

 _You fixed him breakfast?_

 _Boiled hot dog, of course. By the time I was finished puking, I could hear him in the other bathroom and I didn't get there in time._

 _He had an accident?_

 _Accident? It's never an accident. He won't use the damn toilet unless I strap him down on it. Just craps on the floor and smears it all over the walls._

In the other room, Gibbs was staring at Rask, giving him what they all called the 'Gibbs glare', but Ellie knew that he was listening to every word Dani Rask was saying as she continued to confess.

 _He was just sitting there, on the floor, surrounded by all that mess, thumping his head against the wall and rubbing his hands through the poop. I just meant to shake him, to thump his head against the wall a little harder to make him stop. That's all I meant to do. Then I washed him and changed his pajamas and put him back in his room with the gates up so I could scrub the bathroom again. He fell asleep and it was so quiet. It's never that quiet and it was so nice. I let him sleep for a long time and then he didn't wake up._

Now McGee was the one that was staring at his suspect and Gibbs stood to loom over his. _You turned a blind eye. Worse, you knew she was in over her head, Rask._

Rask just shrugged without saying anything.

 _You knew. You knew from the moment you reported him missing. You knew he was dead and that your wife killed him. You knew, you helped her cover it up and you staged the crime scene._

 _Yes._ Rask's voice finally broke. _Yes, I did._

 _Why? For God's sake, why cover for her?_

 _She's pregnant._

A thump sounded in the other room as McGee stood up so fast that his chair fell over. The two men were almost mirror images as they stood over their suspects, but this time it was McGee's voice that was hot and hard.

 _You're going to jail for the murder of a child. The child you promised to love and raise like he was your own. You really think you're going to get to keep this baby? Lady, you're going to prison._

McGee stormed out, but Ellie heard the door slam in stereo. When she turned, Gibbs had also walked out on his suspect.

-NCIS-

Child abusers were something Gibbs always considered the worst, but finding someone – a father – who just ignored it to save himself the embarrassment, that was probably even lower. Gibbs was already fighting the urge to walk out of there when he heard a door slam over the earwig and that was enough for him. Stepping out into the hallway, he spotted McGee pacing back and forth.

It was time for the lawyers and the prosecutors to take over so Gibbs was more than happy to send the younger man home for what was left of the evening. "We've got them. Go home, Tim."

"I can't, not like this." Tim continued to pace, in what looked like a futile attempt to calm down. "We promised ourselves that we'd never bring the job home to Eva."

Gibbs was furious, too, but he'd had years of practice to force it down, which allowed him to concentrate on McGee. Catching him as he passed by, he grabbed his shoulders to stop the pacing. He was proud of how Tim was protecting Eva and let it show on his face. "Okay, grab your gear. We'll go for a run and if you still need it, we'll hit the gym for a session with the heavy bags, okay?"

Tim looked impossibly young as he looked at Gibbs. "Yeah, okay. Thanks."

It was dark and after several miles and a near miss with a car, Gibbs turned them back toward the Yard's gym.

-NCIS-

It had been hours, so Tony made a call as he cleaned up from his own dinner. "Hey, Bishop, what's going on with the case?"

 _Gibbs broke the husband and McGee broke the wife. She killed the boy and they both tried to cover it up._

Bishop sounded horrible and Tony was reminded once again that this was her first child murder case. "So, they're on their way home?"

 _No, actually they're at the gym._

"Boss needed to beat on something?"

 _No, it was McGee. This really upset him. They ran for about an hour and now they're at the gym._

The guilt over being allowed to leave early was creeping back in. "The Boss is with him, though, right?"

 _Yeah. I almost offered to go with them, but I kinda got the feeling that I'd be imposing._

"You're going home soon, aren't you?"

 _Jake is picking me up in a few minutes and we're going out to get something to eat._

"Good, I'll see you in the morning, Bishop." Tony ended the call and dished up two plates of enchiladas, covered them and put them in the refrigerator. They'd be quicker to reheat that way.

-NCIS-

When in the hell did he get this strong? Gibbs was having quite a workout just holding the bag for McGee. It was more than just the case, he knew that, but he wasn't sure exactly what. Eva's arrival into their lives certainly made them more aware, but this seemed more than that. When the punches started slowing, it was time to prod, just a bit.

"Hey, talk to me."

Tim gave one last punch before leaning on the bag. "Why do people think a child isn't worth their effort if he's not their version of perfect?"

Gibbs didn't have an answer for that, there really wasn't an answer, so he kept quiet for a moment before he finally spoke. "You see Eva in this?" Honestly, he suspected that Tim also saw himself and his own relationship with his father, but he didn't have a clue how to bring that one up.

"Yeah, don't you? Ziva couldn't handle having a not-perfect baby. She never even went to the hospital nursery to see her."

He remembered all that and Gibbs also remembered the instant reactions. A lot of time had passed and sometimes he wondered... "Have you and Tony ever talked about trying to find her?"

"We talked about it a few times after we brought Eva home, but... she walked away, Gibbs. She walked away from her own daughter that needed her and she walked away from Tony when he loved her. Ziva doesn't deserve either of them now."

Gibbs had to agree with that. "You got it out of your system?" When Tim nodded, Gibbs let go of the bag. "Let's hit the shower and I'll take you home."

Tim looked a little wobbly, so Gibbs stayed close as they walked to the locker room and kept an ear out while they showered and changed clothes. It wasn't until they were in the car and heading home that Gibbs felt comfortable asking the question that was niggling at the back of his mind. "Eva's not the only one you saw in that little boy."

"No, but at least I made it out alive."

Gibbs didn't have an answer for that.

When they pulled into the driveway, the house was mostly dark, which wasn't a surprise considering how late it was. Gibbs climbed out of the car and followed McGee up to the front door. The porch light was on and when they went in, the kitchen lights were left of for them. Gibbs found the two plates in the refrigerator and started reheating them.

When the microwave beeped, McGee was nowhere to be found. Taking an educated guess, Gibbs crept up the stairs. Tony was asleep in the chair, Eva sleeping on his chest. Tim watched for a few more moments with a fond expression on his face before draping a blanket over the two of them and kissing the top of Eva's head.

Back downstairs, Gibbs handed Tim a plate of food and steered him to the breakfast nook. "You ever going to tell him?

"There's nothing to tell."

"Tim..."

"Tony's straight, end of story. I learned a long time ago to be happy with what I have. Eventually, Tony will meet the woman of his dreams and he'll move on. I'll learn to just be Eva's Uncle Tim and Tony's friend again and settle for an occasional visit."

Ending the conversation, Tim began to eat. Gibbs followed suit, but he found he had no appetite. He wanted to tell Tim that Tony already had what he wanted and that someday he'd realize it. Unfortunately, Gibbs' belief in fairy tales and happily ever after ending years ago in a mangled minivan. Having eaten all he could manage, he stood up and took his plate back into the kitchen. Coming back out, he walked over to McGee and bent down to touch the top of his head as he said the only words he could. "I'm sorry."

-NCIS-

He'd had to call one of the executive assistants back in New York, but Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. finally had the phone number he needed. Luckily, it wasn't too late on the West Coast.

"Yes, I'd like to speak to Admiral McGee, please." It just took a moment to be connected. "We have a mutual problem, Admiral McGee, and I believe we can help each other."

 _I'm listening._


	26. Chapter 26

"Could today have been any longer?" Tim unlocked the door and trundled inside, dropping the diaper bag next to the stairs so Tony could take it up later.

Tony had Eva and followed him into the kitchen, putting her in her high chair. "You need to find us a loophole so we can shoot defense attorneys when they get too annoying."

"You mean, when they pass the bar?" Tim had taken the pan of left over beef stew out of the fridge and was just staring down at the potatoes and beef chunks.

"It's still good, isn't it?" Tony couldn't imagine what was wrong with it.

Tim dropped the lid back down on the pan. "It's fine, but do you really want to have it for a third day in a row?"

"Not really." Usually, when they made a big batch of soup or stew, they'd have it for two days and then freeze the rest. However, last night they'd been too tired to bother and they hadn't been to the store for anything else either. "Pizza?"

"We had that for lunch. Chinese?"

Tony perked up at that. They both really liked it and Eva loved to feed herself rice even if only a fraction of it actually made it into her mouth. "China Grill or House of Dynasty?"

They both loved the food from House of Dynasty, but they didn't have a delivery service. While China Grill did deliver, and fairly quickly, it was a distant second in taste. "Let's get the good stuff. You call it in and I'll go get it. Make sure to order some of their dumplings."

"Two orders of dumplings so one actually makes it home?" Their steamed vegetable dumplings were McGee's secret treat, but Tony always had to tease him just a bit.

"Just for that, maybe I'll eat them all."

Tucking his phone under his chin, Tony made the call as he fixed Eva's strained peas and carrots. Once she saw the rice, she'd lose interest in her vegetables, so he had to get them down her before McGee got back with the Chinese food.

-NCIS-

Admiral McGee drove down the street, checking the house numbers. After the call he'd received a few days ago, he'd taken some leave time to deal with the situation. Slowing down under a street light, he checked the address he'd been given for a second time. This was a much nicer neighborhood than he was expecting. They must pay federal agents much more than they used to for his son to afford such a place. He found the house with the matching numbers and pulled into the driveway. It was an older, but well maintained home with very stylish landscaping. Obviously, a professional company came in and dealt with that, unless 'he' was into that sort of thing. John McGee thought this nonsense of Timothy's had been handled years ago, but the call that his son was shaking up with another man told him otherwise. No other car was in the driveway, but he couldn't see into the garage. However, lights were on in the house, so John got out of the car and walked up to the front porch.

-NCIS-

"That's my good girl, you ate all your carrots and almost all of your peas. We'll have to tell Grandpa that. You know, he doesn't like peas. Silly Grandpa, right?" Tony reached past her to put the empty containers on the counter and Eva leaned forward and rubbed her face on his sleeve. "Oh yuck, Eva."

Usually Tony changed before feeding her, but it had been a long day. Standing, he dropped a handful of cheerios on the high chair tray. It was an Armani shirt and strained carrots tend to stain. "Daddy will be right back." Unbuttoning as he went, Tony went into the laundry room and stripped off his shirt. Tim had him trained and he sprayed the pre-treatment before dropping the shirt in the washer. They'd get the load going after dinner as he was sure Tim would have a few dress shirts to add in. Vance had promised them they weren't on call for the next two days, so he grabbed a couple of beers out of the spare fridge while he was there. Just as he was coming out of the utility room, the front doorbell rang. Since he was right there, he answered the door, even though he was shirtless.

"So, it's true."

Tony stared blankly at the man standing on their porch. It took a moment to recognize Admiral McGee in civilian clothing. "Sir?"

"My son, the fag, found himself another one. After his _husband,_ I'd hoped he was done with this nonsense. Since he's not, I'm done with him." The Admiral spun sharply on his heel and marched back to the car, leaving Tony staring in shock.

"What the hell? Tim was married? Tim had a husband? He lied to me?" Unable to identify the feeling in the pit of his stomach, Tony slammed the door and marched back into the kitchen.

-NCIS-

There was a grocery store just a few door down from the restaurant so Tim dashed in there for diapers and a few basics before he picked up the food. They'd have to do a big shopping during the next two days that they had off, but at least they wouldn't have to go first thing in the morning. Parked in the driveway, he hooked the plastic bags on his fingers before picking up the box of Chinese food, determined to make it all in one trip.

Usually Tony was right there at the door to open it and help, but not this time. Probably still getting Eva cleaned up from her evening foray into strained veggies. Tim juggled everything and managed to get the door open. Once he was inside, he dropped the diapers on the floor by the diaper bag. It could all go up at the same time. Still no sign of Tony, so Tim went into the kitchen. He was slightly surprised to find Tony just standing there, leaning against the counter, beer in his hand.

However odd that was, the bags were starting to give, so Tim quickly set everything down as he started talking. "We'll have to do some serious grocery shopping at some point, but I got bagels for breakfast. They didn't have those herbal ones you like, but I got you the cheese ones instead with the herb and garlic cream cheese. Oh, and I grabbed a bag of diapers, too. I couldn't remember how many we had left, but you can never have too many, right?"

Tony was still staring at him and Tim was getting worried. "Tony, is everything all right?"

"I don't know, Timmy, you tell me. In fact, while you're at it, why don't you tell me about your husband. You know, the one you never mentioned in all the years I've known you."

"What?" Tim's mind was spinning, trying to figure out how Tony knew. He watched as Tony took a drink from the bottle in his hand, apparently finishing it, before adding it to the other bottles in the sink. He didn't know what to say, which was the wrong response.

"What? No answer? So, it's true? You're gay and you were married to another guy. What the hell, McGee, that's kinda big to hide, especially for all these years."

Feeling his world crumbling away, Tim leaned against the island, at the other end from Tony, and slowly nodded. "Yeah, it's true."

"So, you're gay."

"No, I'm bi."

"No, what you are is a liar. All these years and you kept something like this a secret."

Eva was starting to cry as Tim tried to explain. "If I wanted to keep my job, I had to."

Tony stepped closer, visibly trembling as he shook his finger right in Tim's face. "No way, don't you dare put any of this on Gibbs. The man doesn't have a prejudiced bone in his body."

"And you do? Since when?" Wanting to scream, throw up or hide in a corner, and not necessarily in that order, Tim threw his hands up in the air as Eva cried harder. "I can't do this right now. I'm gonna get a motel room for a couple of days before one of us does something stupid."

"You already have, McGee."

-NCIS-

Gibbs had managed to leave work only about ten minutes later than DiNozzo and McGee, but finding Bishop in the parking lot with a dead battery had kept him aboard the Yard longer than he'd expected. After jump starting her truck, he'd followed her home to make sure she got there safely. Jake would be home soon and they'd take it in for servicing in the morning, so now he was home. When his phone rang and the display showed 'McGee' he was hoping for a dinner invite.

"Hey, McGee."

 _Boss..._

He sounded, Gibbs didn't know how to describe McGee's voice, but he was already getting up off the sofa. "Tim, what's wrong?"

 _Tony's home without a car. I... I thought you should know that, in case there's a call-out or something. He'll need a ride._

"Where are you?"

 _I'm going to drive around for a while and then I'll be getting a motel room for a few days._

It sounded like the boys had had a fight. They'd certainly sniped at each other on occasion, but nothing like this. "Tim, what happened?" There was a long pause.

 _Tony found out about Sam. It... it didn't go well._

"Tim..."

 _No, Tony's right. I've lied to him for years. I should have expected this. Just take care of him, okay?_

There was something in the way that McGee was asking that didn't sit well with Gibbs. He grabbed his jacket and pulled his SIG out of the gun safe before heading for his back door. "Call me when you've checked in so I know which motel."

 _Boss..._

Gibbs could practically hear him shaking his head. He could definitely hear him crying. "You let me know, otherwise I'll have to track it down myself."

 _Okay, okay, I'll send a text._

It was a compromise, but it would do for now. The line went dead and Gibbs jogged across the two back yards. Through the window, he could see Tony pacing, holding a fussy Eva. Using his key, Gibbs let himself in the back door and the first thing he did was to take Eva to calm her down. "What happened?"

"How did you – he called you?"

"Yeah, he wanted me to know you'd be there without a car if something happened. Said he was getting a motel room." Gibbs looked at Tony closely, trying to get a better handle on the situation. "You two have a fight?"

"Yeah, something like that."

Tony was pacing, and Gibbs could tell he wasn't sure what to say. He took that as a good sign. At least Tony was, in his own way, trying to protect McGee by not outing him. "How did you find out about Sam?"

Stopping and spinning around, Tony stared at him. "You knew? But I thought..."

"Morrow put the restrictions on him when he was hired. Remember, DADT was still in effect back then."

"But he told you." Yep, there was that hurt at not being told and Gibbs shook his head at the mess.

"When you were in Israel, about the time you were making this little lady." He was bouncing Eva on his hip. She had stopped crying and he finally got a smile out of her. "We had a case involving his former father-in-law. He really didn't have a choice after that."

"Otherwise he never would have told you either, right?"

"Hey, did I tell any of you about Shannon? Sometimes when the pain is that bad, it hurts less to hide it away, at least for as long as you can." Gibbs waited, hoping Tony would put the pieces together. Judging from the way Tony was staring at him, it worked.

"Wait, Sam is dead?"

"He and Tim were visiting Sam's grandmother at the World Trade Center on the morning of..."

Tony's shoulders finally slumped. "September eleventh, right?"

"Yeah. Piece of shrapnel took most of the back of his head."

"They were together? Tim saw it happen?"

"He did. As hard as it was to lose Shannon," Gibbs closed his eyes for a moment. "The one thing that Mike never let me see were the pictures of Shannon and Kelly's bodies after the accident." Now he took a deep breath, opened his eyes and looked directly at Tony. "I can't imagine living with the memory of watching their last moment. Of seeing their bodies..." He couldn't finish, but judging from the sudden pallor of Tony's face, he'd made his point. Tony sat down hard on the sofa.

"No wonder he had such a hard time with Kate's death."

Gibbs didn't say it, but the _ya' think_ was clearly on his face as he watched Tony process it.

"That was right before his birthday, his twenty-first, right?"

"Yeah."

"God, he was so young. Too young to have to face something like that on his own."

Gibbs didn't say anything as he shifted Eva to his other hip, letting Tony continue to sort it all out in his head. Eventually, Tony leaned back in the sofa and scratched his head with both hands. "I really over-reacted, didn't I?"

This time it was verbal. "Ya' think, DiNozzo."

Restless, Tony was back up on his feet, prowling around the family room as he thought. "He's in love with me, isn't he?"

The anger was back, but Gibbs wasn't sure why. "And that's a problem because..."

"But he doesn't love me enough to do anything about it."

Gibbs' hand popped up without him even realizing, but he stopped before he made contact with the back of Tony's head. As angry as that statement made him, it wouldn't have been a tap to get Tony's attention. "No, he loves you so much that he will give you anything you want, no matter how much it hurts him. He'd do anything to protect you. Anything." He knew where it lived, the hiding place Tim had created after Tony had come out of the coma, so he stormed into McGee's office. Tony scrambled to keep up with him.

There was a play area in the office for Eva and Gibbs set her down on the blanket, making sure her favorite bear was within her reach. Bottom left drawer, he'd helped Tim with the thin wood veneer. It was a tight fit, after Gibbs removed everything else in the drawer, he had to use his knife to pry the thin wood up and remove it.

Most false bottoms hid some space, this hidden compartment was only deep enough for one piece of paper and Gibbs reverently lifted it up out of the drawer.

"What's that?"

"Did Tim ever tell you everything that happened while you were in the hospital?"

"No, he always manages to change the subject."

Gibbs had always suspected that was the case, had always expected Tony to show up in the basement one day, asking questions. Questions or not, it was the time for answers. "Your father showed up and was talking to the transplant coordinators within his first hour at the hospital, even before he saw you."

Tony frowned at him. He'd been in a coma at the time but now he was fully aware of what injuries he'd sustained. "I didn't need any kind of transplant. I just had a head injury." Gibbs just waited, knowing the realization would come, and it did. "To take my organs?"

"Yep."

"He wouldn't have had any say in the matter. Tim's my medical proxy, has been for years. It would have been his decision, not my dad's."

"Yeah well, your dad showed up claiming to have a lawyer and managed to get McGee kicked out of the hospital while I was dealing with the FBI. Actually tried to get a judge to over-ride the proxy as your next of kin." Tony was just staring at him so he kept going. "Tim never doubted for a moment that you would make your way back to us. He kept telling everyone that would listen that you just needed more time. That your dad was giving up way too soon. That he had to save you, no matter what it took."

Gibbs looked down at the paper he was holding before turning it so Tony could see it. "It's your marriage certificate. Probably his best work. If your dad had actually followed through with his threats, if he'd managed to void the medical proxy, after that only your spouse would have been able to over-ride your father."

He held it out and Tony gingerly took it, almost as if he were afraid of it, trying to make a joke to cover his fear. Gibbs wasn't surprised. "He's usually better at forging your signature."

"I signed my own name. Abby did, too. By the way, there's a wedding ring around here someplace with your DNA all over it."

That seemed to get Tony's attention, Gibbs suspected that it was suddenly very real in his mind. "If he'd gone through with this and I'd really been a vegetable, he'd have been stuck with me for the rest of his life."

"I know. So did he. Still question him?"

Carefully, almost reverently, Tony handed the certificate back to Gibbs and watched as it was returned to its hiding spot. He laughed – it was bitter sounding but no longer angry. "My dad was probably already spending the life insurance money. He'd have gotten a hell of a surprise because he's not my beneficiary, Tim was. I did it when I found out the truth about that supposed hedge fund he put all his book money into. It all went to charities. He's too soft-hearted; I wanted to make sure he was taken care of."

It was on the tip of Gibbs tongue to tell DiNozzo that that's what you do for the person you love, but that was the answer in romance novels. This was real life. "So, what happens now?"

Tony was watching Eva as she rolled from side to side, trying to reach another toy. "Can you take Eva for the night?"

There was a portable crib and everything she needed in Kelly's old bedroom, though it was seldom used. He'd need to bring diapers and her food, but that was easy. "You going to do something stupid?"

For some reason the question made Tony chuckle even though he wasn't smiling. "No, but I think Tim and I need to talk without any interruptions."

Gibbs didn't want either of his boys hurt, so he studied Tony carefully. The anger was gone and he was right, there was a lot the two of them needed to work through. "Okay, but you call me if either of you need anything, all right?"

It didn't take long to pack up formula, bottles, clothes and grab the new bag of diapers. Tony changed her diaper again before kissing her and handing her back to Gibbs. "Night, night sweetheart. You be good for Grandpa."

Gibbs gave Tony an encouraging nod before walking out with Eva in his arms and a very packed diaper bag on his shoulder. "Just you and me tonight, Sweet-pea." He turned back to look as Tony opened the drawer and stared down. He couldn't see the marriage certificate anymore, it was properly hidden away again but Gibbs was glad he knew it was there.

-NCIS-

McGee had driven around for a while before pulling over at a viewpoint. Now he was sitting on the hood of his car, staring at the Potomac River. It was hypnotizing, really, how the water swirled around every rock and then continued on its way. His phone rang and he pulled it out of his jacket pocket.

The display showed Tony's grinning face and Tim sighed before he accepted the call. "Tony, I'm sorry, you were right. I should have told you."

 _My overreacting kinda suggests you were right. You gotten a room yet?_

Tim sighed again. "No, not yet. I drove up to Langley Oaks, just watching the water."

 _Good, come home. Eva's with Grandpa for the night and we need to talk._

Honestly, Tim couldn't see any good coming out of this, but there was no point in putting it off. "Okay, see you in a bit."

-NCIS-

Judging from where McGee said he was, Tony figured he had about a half hour so he finally went upstairs for a shirt. Up there, he paused and really looked around. He hadn't missed his old place a bit, even after all the years he'd lived there, and moving in with McGee had felt like the most natural thing in the world. Technically he had more square footage on the second floor than he had back at his apartment, but he and Eva spent little time up here. Most of Eva's toys were downstairs, his movies were either downstairs or in the partially completed man cave and his favorite chair had migrated down next to McGee's favorite spot in the family room. Realizing how integrated their lives had become gave him pause, but he didn't know how to define what they had become. Debating between a t-shirt (folded by McGee) and a dress shirt (ironed by McGee), Tony chose the t-shirt and headed back downstairs.

Three empty beer bottles in the sink made him cringe and he quickly rinsed them out and stuck them in the recycling box out in the garage before fixing a plate of the now cold Chinese food. As soon as he heard the sound of McGee's car pulling into the driveway, he stuck the plate in the microwave and waited for McGee to come in.

A key in the lock, then footsteps so slow that the food was hot before McGee made it in far enough for Tony to see him. He hated the defeated look in Tim's eyes and hated even more that he was at least partially responsible for putting it there. He opened the microwave and retrieved Tim's dinner, setting it on the table in the breakfast nook. "Here, eat and then we'll talk."

Tony fixed his own plate and joined Tim, watching him carefully as they ate. He saw the man that had sat across from him all these months, the man that had watched his back all these years. Tim hadn't changed. He was still the same sweet, nerdy guy that Tony had picked on and depending on, no matter what. With that much settled, Tony began to eat.

Tim managed about half of his food before he slowed down and started to pick at his beef and broccoli. Tony stayed quiet, waiting to see if he'd say anything.

"I should have told you, but I made the decision to only date women even before I joined the Agency."

"Why?" Tony was genuinely curious, but Tim only shrugged so Tony tried a different approach. "How did Morrow find out?"

That got a reaction and Tim looked up. "How?"

"If it wasn't Gibbs, it had to be Morrow."

Tim nodded, possibly agreeing with his logic, but definitely agreeing with his statement. "Background check, I guess. I really wasn't actively trying to hide it in the beginning."

"Morrow didn't have the right to ask that of you."

"I was used to that kind of reaction."

Tony winced at that, but now the father's reaction was starting to make more sense. "I don't really have a problem with you being gay or bi and I guess it makes sense that you never told me or any of us about it."

"I told Gibbs about it back when it was just the two of us working. You were in Israel and things happened." Tim looked up, fear flashing across his face. "I had to tell him, please don't be mad at Gibbs for keeping my secrets, Tony."

Tony had already heard the basics of the story from Gibbs, but he wanted Tim's side of it so he nodded and listened very carefully. "What happened?"

"We were supposed to go interview the commander of the Naval Support Activity's Northwest Annex."

"Okay?"

"He's Sam's father."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, he blames me for everything."

"Everything?"

"Yeah. Sam outed himself and got kicked out of the Academy because of something that happened to me. Then we were in New York to celebrate going to Europe and..." Tim's voice broke and he dropped his fork. Tony debated, then decided that total honesty was the best option under the circumstances.

"Gibbs told me what happened to Sam. I'm so sorry you lost him like that."

Tim nodded, but he was still staring at the table. Tony raised his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then finally laid it on the back of Tim's neck in a sign of silent support.

* * *

a/n - first of two chapters today.


	27. Chapter 27

"Daaaadaaaa." Gibbs drew out the word while Eva laid on his chest quite fascinate with the strange noises her grandfather was making. "Come on, Sweet-pea, let's see if you can do it so we can surprise Daddy and Uncle Tim tomorrow. Daaaadaaaa."

Instead of repeating the sounds, Eva bopped him in the nose with her bear. Gibbs laughed and shook his head. "Words like Daddy and Uncle Tim, not head slaps like Grandpa."

-NCIS-

They were both picking at their food when Tim spoke up again. "How did you find out?"

Looking back, John McGee's assumptions had been almost funny and Tony stared out the window as he remembered, hoping to get Tim to see the humor in the encounter. "Eva managed to slobber strained carrots and peas half way up to my shoulder. I took my shirt off and put the pre-treatment on the stain just like you taught me, then I grabbed a couple of beers for the two of us. I was just coming out of the laundry room when the doorbell rang. I really didn't mean to answer the front door and greet your father looking like your boy-toy, beer in hand." Tony looked, hoping to see a little bit of a smile. What he saw instead was total panic on McGee's face as he jumped to his feet, knocking over his chair in the process.

"My father? The Admiral was here? He thinks we're together?"

Tony watched him closely and tried to explain, not understanding the problem and a little annoyed that McGee wasn't appreciating his efforts to be understanding. After all, Tony was the straight man being accused of being gay. "Yeah, he assumed whatever he'd heard was true and I was the new husband."

"Where was Eva?"

"What?"

"Did my father see her?"

"No, I don't think..." Tony reconstructed the scene in his head. "No, he couldn't see that far from where he was standing. He never came in the house."

"Good, that's good." Tim was pacing, agitated, and Tony had to rush to catch up with him in the hallway. He didn't know what was going on, but Tim was still talking. "It's good he didn't see her, but we don't know for sure. He still might know."

Tony's gut was churning, but he didn't know if he was just reacting to Tim's sudden and hopefully irrational fear. "And this is a problem because?"

"We need to keep her safe." Tim spun around. "Where is she? Is she in bed already?"

"No, remember? She's with Gibbs for the night so we could talk. She's safe."

"Safe. Gotta keep her safe."

"Tim, what's going on?" Tony wanted to get him to stop moving, but didn't want to corner Tim. He did manage to get close enough to touch his arm only to see Tim flinch and his pacing increase. "Tim? I know things weren't great, but you never told me you were afraid of your father. Not like this."

"After Sam, I only dated women. It was better, safer. He really doesn't like the possibility that I... He doesn't like having a gay son." Tim was looking around, his eyes huge, but Tony wasn't sure exactly what he was seeing. "We have to get you and Eva out of here. You can stay with Gibbs until we find you a nice place."

Things were spiraling out of control faster than Tony could comprehend. "You're kicking us out? I know I screwed up, but..."

"No, not your fault. Mine, always mine. Don't..."

Tony was watching him carefully and realized that Tim was having some sort of flashback. He started moving closer, herding Tim toward the sofa in the living room. "Easy, Buddy, you're safe here. That's it, Tim, come on back to me. Tell me what you're so afraid of?"

Luckily, they were in the living room where Tony could stay close without crowding him too much. Part of him wanted to pull Tim out of whatever terror he was trapped in, but a nagging corner of his mind reminded Tony that he'd get more information right now than after Tim shut down on him so he listened closely.

"Dad really didn't want a gay son."

A few hours ago Tony would have teased him for repeating himself. Now the repeated words seemed more ominous. "Tim, what did he do?"

"Safe, we have to be safe."

Tony eased a little closer. If it wasn't for what Gibbs had already told him about Sam's demise, he'd be planning on how to make a murder charge stick. Still, he wasn't convinced. "Tim, did he hurt Sam somehow?"

Tim flinched again when Tony touched him, but this time Tony didn't let go. When Tim didn't panic, Tony led them to the sofa and sat down, pulling Tim down with him. Tim whimpered, but that was the only sound he made.

Keeping his voice very low and steady, Tony started talking. "We're safer together. Eva is safer with both of us. We'll get a security system, Gibbs will move in for a while if we need him to, but I'm not running away from the family we built."

He pulled Tim closer against him. It felt good, much better than he was expecting. It was also a lousy time to realize that. Locking it away, Tony concentrated on what was happening right then. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Tony wasn't all that surprised when Tim just shook his head. "Does anyone else know?"

"No one still alive."

On one hand, Tony was grateful to get even a few words out of Tim, but those few words made him wish he had his gun within reach. Whatever was going on, Tim had reached the end of his endurance as he leaned heavier and heavier against Tony and all Tony could do was to hold onto him.

-NCIS-

"Where's Eva?" Gibbs let the door creak open an inch, pressing his face against the wood so that he could see in the room. "Where's Eva?" She was playing with her blanket, covering her head and pulling it back as she squealed and laughed.

Creeping into the room, he continued to call for her, pretending not to see her as he worked closer to the bed. This time when she pulled the blanket away from her face, he was right there. "Peek-a-boo! There's Eva." He scooped her up, being sure to not squeeze her bottom half too tight until he'd changed her diaper.

Diaper changed and clean clothes on, Gibbs scooped her up and carried her downstairs where a bottle was waiting. They snuggled on the couch as Eva happily sucked down her bottle. "Is that good, Sweet-pea? Gonna have to wait for your cereal until we go home, unless you want sweet potatoes for breakfast." She frowned as if contemplating his words and Gibbs had to chuckle. "That's the same expression your daddy has when Uncle Tim pulls one over on him."

She got serious about her bottle and Gibbs looked toward McGee's house. He couldn't see it from there, but he could see it in his mind. With any luck Tony and Tim were sitting at the breakfast bar or maybe the nook, enjoying some of those fancy pastries they liked.

Eva finished her bottle and tossed it away with a dramatic flair that was pure DiNozzo. "You telling me you're ready to go home and see Daddy and Uncle Tim?" She gave him a big grin and started kicking. "All right, let's get you packed up." Normally he wasn't in this much of a hurry to send her home, but he was a little worried if he were honest with himself.

-NCIS-

Gibbs unlocked the back door, shifting Eva around as she grabbed his shirt collar. "Oops, don't strangle Grandpa." Once inside, his gut started pinging. It was quiet and the food was still out on the counter. The discussion couldn't have gone well if McGee had ignored the stack of empty cartons. Moving closer, he could tell that they weren't actually empty. DiNozzo might slack off and let empties sit overnight, but not ones half full of food. Next he found the plates still sitting on the table in the nook, neither one scraped clean.

Probably for the first time in his career, Gibbs considered retreating back to his house and calling in another team. If he were alone, he wouldn't have thought twice, but he had Eva with him. He had a crazy notion and eased open the door to the master bedroom, but the bed was empty and still made.

Back to the family room and then into the kitchen. From there, he went into the dining room, twisting his body to keep Eva tucked behind him as he took a quick look into the living room. He saw the top of Tony's head. "Tony?" He'd pitched his voice low, but it was heard because DiNozzo's head swiveled enough to make eye contact, but Tony held his finger up to his lips.

Relaxing, Gibbs came into the room. Tim was with him, but deeply asleep, his head actually resting on Tony's leg. At some point after Gibbs had left last night, Tony had acquired a shirt, but Tim was still wearing what he'd left work in, judging from what Gibbs could see as he was covered with the chenille throw that lived on the back of the sofa. "Everything okay?"

Gibbs was whispering, but in comparison to Tony's soft voice, it was a shout and Gibbs really had to strain to hear Tony's words. "Did you know that he's absolutely terrified of his father?"

"How?" The rest of the question was on the tip of Gibbs' tongue, but Tony didn't wait for him to ask.

"Are you absolutely sure about how Sam died? Cause when he found out his old man was here last night he was talking about sending Eva and me away." Tony looked down at Tim; he'd been petting the other man's head since Gibbs had come around the corner. "I mean, if he wants his life back that's one thing, but..." Tony finally looked up at Gibbs' "I suggested that we get a security system installed and that you'd hang around here more, maybe stay here a few night until he works through whatever this is."

"Sure, I can do that." Gibbs looked down at the sleeping man. Even now, there were worry lines between his eyebrows and his sleep looked anything but restful. "I'll call Vance, too. His security company has already been vetted."

"Thanks."

Gibbs nodded, watching as Tony continued to run his fingers through Tim's hair. He'd slowed once as they'd talked and Tim had immediately tensed up even more until Tony resumed. Eva reached for her daddy and Tony held one arm out. Gibbs moved closer, balancing her until the transfer was complete and she was sitting on Tony's other leg. "You got her?"

"Yeah." They both watched as Eva's chubby hand patted Tim's head. It seemed to relax him even more.

"Okay, I'll get things started and be back in a few."

-NCIS-

He'd need more than just his go bag so Gibbs was filling a larger bag as he called Vance, not letting the man even say hello before he jumped in. "Who's your security company?"

 _Oh, God, what's happened now?_

"I'm not totally sure, but it's got McGee pretty spooked. What do you know about his old man?"

 _He's an ass that doesn't appreciate his only son._

"That's a given. What else?"

 _Not much. I can make some inquiries if you'd like._

Gibbs pulled out a couple of suits before looking through his ties. "Yeah, just keep it low key. I don't know exactly what we're stepping into." He heard a snort on the other end of the call.

 _Do we ever? Okay, the security company that monitors my house is Titan Fi. Guy that runs it is retired special ops, name of Dwayne Miller. You want me to set it up? Might be quicker._

"Yeah. Thanks, Leon."

 _See if you can get more information out of McGee. If I'm going to restrict an Admiral's access to the Navy Yard, I want reasons I can explain to the SecNav if it comes to that._

"I'll keep you posted."

Two duffels and a bulging suit bag, Gibbs could stay for a month or more if he needed to. Arriving back at the house, he went upstairs. Inside the third bedroom was the little bed from Tony's old apartment, shoved up against the wall. Gibbs eyeballed it for a moment, suspecting that one of the sofas downstairs would probably be more comfortable. It would also put him closer to McGee, which might be a good idea, depending on how serious this possible threat was. He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. Ever since Tim had told him about Sam, he'd wondered how the Admiral fit into all of this. Now he wished he'd pushed for more information. For all he knew his being there was partially to play chaperon now that Tony knew about McGee's sexuality. No matter what, he was there to get them through it.

By the time he returned downstairs, Tim was awake and sitting up. Eva was on his lap, being very cuddly with him and he seemed to be soaking it in. Tony got them to move into the family room and he and Gibbs cleaned up the remains of dinner.

-NCIS-

Dwayne Miller and his crew arrived less than three hours after Gibbs had called Vance and the Director was with them. Vance made the introductions, carefully watching McGee as he did. Tim barely made eye contact and deferred every question to either Gibbs or DiNozzo. Tony finally handed Eva back to McGee and took over as the homeowner's proxy.

When Miller and his team stepped outside to start their security survey, Vance pulled Gibbs off to the side. "You ever see McGee react to anything like this?"

"Nope."

"Okay, I'm making yours a five person team for a while."

"Now wait a," Vance's hand was up, stopping the rest of Gibbs' tirade.

"I'm not benching him, DiNozzo either, but I want someone who's had more training and experience in security details so neither of them are out in the field alone, ever."

As much as he hated to admit it, Vance had a good idea. "Who?"

"Dorneget."

Okay, maybe not. "Dorney?"

"I sent him through the advanced bodyguard training program Homeland Security is pushing, thought it would increase his confidence. Now he just needs more field training and experience so it's a perfect cover."

They had a system, he and Vance. Vance would dump something on him that would take some getting used to, then wander off to let him stew and work through it. Right on cue, Vance slipped out, supposedly to talk to the security contractor. Dorney had worked with them before and had survived McGee and DiNozzo. Gibbs wanted to keep McGee close to him, at least until McGee was able to really talk about his father, about Sam, and who was responsible for what in his life. That would leave Dorneget with DiNozzo. Dorney wouldn't be the first agent DiNozzo had honed for the field. If anything, he was getting a reputation for doing just that, and maybe, just maybe, there'd be another bright spot in bringing in Dorneget. The man was in the closet, but it was the worst kept secret in the agency. It was quite possible that DiNozzo would get talking, get curious and end up with some knowledge about being a gay man. By the time Vance wandered back in, the decision had been made. "Fine, but he'd better remember not to call me 'sir'."

"I'll be sure to remind him."

"Funny, Leon."

"Hey, I take it where I can get it." Vance turned serious. "Figure out what's going on, take care of them."

That was a given, so Gibbs just nodded.

-NCIS-

If anything, the fact that McGee let strangers drill holes in his walls and run wiring without him hovering over them told Gibbs just how bad this was. Eventually when the alarms were set and the family was alone, Tony managed to get him up and participating in the prep for dinner.

Gibbs stayed out of the way, sitting with Eva in the nook, as he watched them work. Tony chopped and Tim worked the skillet, the two of them handing spices and utensils back and forth without needing to say a word. It could have been he and Shannon, all they were missing was the occasional kiss to the back of the neck as they worked.

* * *

 **a/n - Second of two chapters for the day. Hopefully, you read the first one or you're going to be very confused :) Have a great day, I'm starting cinnamon rolls for Sunday's breakfast. I might get online long enough to post a chapter tomorrow, but it's supposed to rain and I'll be working outside most of the day. By the time I get all the gear dried out and get home, I'll probably go straight to a nice warm bed.**

 **Some of you have asked about my son. Surgery is scheduled for the 12th, so we have another week to go. Thanks for all the good thoughts for him.**


	28. Chapter 28

"Night-night, little lady." Tony tucked the blanket around Eva and watched her sleepy face. Once he was sure she was down for the night, he straightened up, the subtle blinking light of the new window sensor catching his eye.

Everything had changed in the last twenty-four hours, yet not really. The threat was probably always there, they just knew about it now. The other thing that had been there for a while was his feelings for McGee. Now that he knew, what in the hell was he going to do about it? How does a straight man love when the object of his affections is not the woman of his dreams? Could things change? Should they change? One thing was certain, his timing well and truly sucked.

Downstairs, Gibbs had moved with McGee into the living room. It was smaller, cozier, the kind of room one could feel safe in and this was a conversation that needed safe. Tony joined them on one sofa, McGee in the middle. It would have been a little snug for three strangers, but here it felt good.

Gibbs was using his 'dealing with a traumatized witness' voice, which Tony would never have associated with their family, but it was the right thing to do and he carefully watched Tim's reactions.

"I know you're scared and I know your dad's not the greatest guy." Tim gave a soft snort and Tony relaxed a bit. So far, so good. Gibbs laid his hand on the back of Tim's head. It looked comforting and Tony knew things were about to get a lot harder. "What I need to know is exactly what he's capable of so I can protect you and Tony and Eva."

Tony assumed that Gibbs could feel Tim tense up under his hand. He could certainly see that the tension had increased and so he leaned slightly closer, but not close enough to make Tim feel cornered. Gibbs seemed to be on the same wavelength as he edged closer to the big invisible monster in the middle of the room. "Did Sam know?"

"Yeah."

"What did he do when he found out?"

"Got himself outed and kicked out of the Academy."

Whoa, Tony was not expecting that and judging from the look they shared over McGee's bowed head, neither did Gibbs. They continued to listen.

"Sam moved up and got permission to move into the student housing with me, take care of me." Tim finally looked up at Tony first, then Gibbs. "There's nothing you can do. By the time I had proof, the statute of limitations had expired."

Tony was pretty sure that didn't mean a hell of a lot to Gibbs; it sure didn't to him. Whoever hurt Tim was fair game as far as he was concerned, but Gibbs gave a nod to Tim, who then bowed his head again, even though he kept talking. At first it didn't make any sense to Tony. Then he wished it didn't.

"The Admiral really didn't want me to be with a guy. He wanted me to be so revolted at the thought of another man touching me..."

Working vice had given Tony firsthand knowledge of how depraved some people could be. He'd had a case where a 'phobe had tried to rape a lesbian straight, but this – this was beyond even that. It took a few seconds longer before he saw the understanding on Gibbs' face as well. Lucky, because Tony didn't think he could get the words out to ask the needed questions. Gibbs managed to get the words out, but it didn't sound like it was easy.

"He had somebody hurt you?"

A nod. Tony wasn't surprised that Tim couldn't say the words.

"Sexually?"

This time a shudder accompanied the nod.

"How did you find out he was responsible? You said you had proof."

-NCIS-

Jethro Gibbs had interviewed a lot of victims over the years. Some of the stories made him want to kill the suspect, some of them made him want to go home and scrub his skin raw with bleach, but none of them tore at his gut as much as hearing that his youngest boy had suffered like that and that his own father was somehow involved. "How did you find out he was responsible? You said you had proof."

Just as Gibbs was beginning to think this last question was McGee's bridge too far, he began to speak, but Gibbs had to strain to hear his voice. "The guy that... he wrote me a letter before he killed himself. He, the Admiral found out he was gay, blackmailed him, threatened to publicly out him, force him to resign his commission. In the letter, he said he couldn't live with the guilt."

"Oh, God, Tim."

Tim's breathing was becoming ragged and his trembling more pronounced. The blanket Tony had covered him with last night was still on the arm of the sofa and Gibbs scooped it up and pulled it around Tim before wrapping his arms around him. Tim buried his face against Gibbs' neck and they heard one sob before he fell silent, but Gibbs could feel the silent sobs continue.

-NCIS-

Every part of Tony's body screamed at him to stay still, to not interrupt. At this moment Tim needed the fatherly support of Gibbs much more than the undefined relationship they'd found themselves in. Even as he told himself that, he could barely contain his jealousy for the ease with which Gibbs offered comfort and Tim soaked it up.

-NCIS-

He wanted answers, so slipping away from his wife's family, Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. placed a call. "Admiral McGee? It's Anthony DiNozzo."

 _You were right, DiNozzo. Your gay son is living with Timothy._

Senior bristled at the accusation. "Junior is not gay. He's depressed because his child's mother left him to raise the child alone."

 _So? Get her back here, convince her she's missing her kid._

Damned officer, acting like everything was that easy. "I would if I could find her. She's in the Middle East somewhere. My investigators have hit a dead end."

 _I've got plenty of contacts over there. Give me what your people have found so far and I'll finish the job._

Something about the way he said that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up, but if it got Junior here to New York, whatever he had planned would be worth it. "Fine, grab a pen and paper and I'll give you everything I've got so far."

-NCIS-

It had been a week and the team was settling into their new routine. Dorney was thriving under Tony's tutelage and Tim had spent his extra time aboard the Yard helping Bishop with the less common forms and protocols. She'd grumbled a bit about how they had more paperwork than the NSA, but caught on quickly. Quickly enough that she became suspicious about the enlarging of the team, not to mention the busywork and cornered Gibbs, turning the tables on him and flipping the switch on the elevator.

"Are you unhappy with my performance?"

"If I was, you'd know about it, Bishop."

"Then why have we become the only five person team in the Agency? What's going on, Gibbs?"

Gibbs debated for a few seconds, but he didn't want her going to either of the boys. "We have an unverified threat. Dorney went through Homeland Security's advanced bodyguard training program, now he needs more field experience so it was a good fit."

"A threat? Against who, Tony?" She frowned and shook her head. "No, it's more than just Tony. You've barely let McGee use the head by himself."

She'd figured that part out quicker than he'd been expecting. "They're both at risk right now."

"What case? I'll pull the file, figure out a way to stop it."

"Not a case."

"Not a... Ziva? Or Delilah?"

Gibbs wasn't expecting her to be going through suspects that quick, even though in retrospect he should have. "No."

"Then it was McGee's father, right?" Gibbs felt his eyebrows climb, he was pretty sure they'd never discussed the Admiral in enough detail for her to make that jump, then she reminded him. "Any bastard that would kill his child's pet to make some ridiculous point is capable of anything."

She was right and all Gibbs could do was to nod his head. He could still see the gears turning and just waited.

"That's why I've been doing the lunch runs all week? Not because I accidentally switched yours and Tony's coffee?

Smirking, Gibbs reached past her and started the elevator without answering. He had a reputation after all.

-NCIS-

"There is a phone call for you, sir. An Admiral John McGee."

"Really?" Dark brown eyes flickered slightly as he thought back to the first time he'd met the man. Useful, but not particularly trustworthy. However, recent events had brought the man's family to his attention. "Thank you, Emil, I'll take the call in my study. Make sure I am not disturbed by anyone."

Office door closed, he looked out the window. Ziva was dozing by the pool, too far away to eavesdrop. "John, old friend, it's good to hear from you." He listened carefully and smiled. He couldn't have planned it better himself. "Yes, I believe I can help you out.

"Oh, no, it's my pleasure." His smile widened as he ended the call. His pleasure, indeed.

-NCIS-

They'd been clearing cold cases but for the most part it had been a quiet winter and early spring in DC. Tony wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not but they were settling into their new normal. Gibbs was sleeping at his own place again, going home each night after spending the evening with them.

Dorney had been the biggest surprise. At first Tony balked at the addition to the team, then Gibbs had explained his and Vance's strategy. With the assurance that Gibbs would be next to McGee when they were out in the field, he'd agreed to temporarily partner with the awkward man. However, between McGee's earlier tutelage and the training he'd received as a bodyguard, Dorney was much easier to work with than he'd expected.

Driving back to the Yard, Tony thought about the case they were just wrapping up. An openly out Naval officer and his life partner had been run off the road earlier that week. The attackers had been a couple of drunk idiots, too stupid to even attempt to cover up their connection to the crime, but what stuck in Tony's mind had been how comfortable and supportive Dorney had been of the shaken lovers. He'd been grateful because the case reminded both he and McGee of the dangers out there and while they were trying to keep it together, Dorney had easily pulled resources together to help their victims.

He'd always suspected, but Tim had proven that Tony's gaydar sucked. Before he could figure out a way to ask without getting him a harassment complaint, Dorney turned to him.

"What?"

Tony took a deep breath. "You're gay, aren't you?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No! No, not at all." There was a spot open and Tony pulled the car over against the curb and put it into park. "No, I just... can I ask you a question and have it go no further?"

Dorney was staring at him, but eventually he answered, slowly and hesitatingly. "Yeah?"

"How does it work?" Seeing the expression on Dorney's face, Tony quickly tried to explain his question. "I'm not talking about the tab A into slot B stuff. I worked Vice back in the day, I can figure that part out myself. But what happens if two tops find out they like each other or two bottoms? I mean, how do you even know? Is that something you talk about on the first date, or..."

Dorney held his hand up, stopping the ramble. "Okay, look – first off, don't look at gay porn as some sort of guideline for a gay relationship."

Realizing that he was actually going to get a serious answer, Tony shut off the car and listened. Dorney took a deep breath and let it out in a whoosh, probably never expecting to get into this kind of a conversation with DiNozzo, but he gamely pressed on which impressed Tony even more.

"Think of it this way – how many of your straight relationships look like straight porn? It's a fantasy, right?"

"Yeah, okay." He'd never thought about it like that, but it made sense.

After a quick glance around, Dorney rolled up his window. "Okay, first off -"

"No, second." Tony wasn't quite sure why that popped out of his mouth, but Dorney just rolled his eyes and went with it.

"Okay, second of all, not all gay men have anal sex."

"They don't?"

"No, Tony, they don't. There's a lot of other ways to satisfy each other. As for what we like and how we have relationships, we talk, DiNozzo. What we're comfortable with, what we like, what we don't like. Penetrating and being penetrated is more than just what straight society thinks of as top and bottom. Some of the most dominant men I've ever met really like being on the receiving end when it comes to anal sex and a lot of guys like both."

Tony knew he was staring as he tried to fit that in with everything he'd been told or heard over the years, especially during his time in vice. "Really?"

Dorney had that patient look on his face, similar to when Tim was trying to explain something about computers. "Okay, look, when you're having sex with a woman, what parts do you like?" Before Tony could form the words, Dorney was clarifying his question. "And I'm not talking about the actual sex part."

That made Tony think for a minute. Going beyond the actual sex meant thinking about the few real relationships he'd had. There was the companionship, and he certainly had that with McGee. There was the support and, again, he certainly had that with McGee. Honestly, until you added the physical aspect, his relationship with McGee was probably better than any he'd ever had and wasn't that a kick in the ass?

Going beyond that, Tony thought about the non-sexual physical parts and began to see where Dorney was going. "Maybe it's the cave man in me, but I like her giving me the control. I like surrounding her with me, my arms around her. I like feeling her head on my shoulder when I'm just falling asleep and her breath tickling my skin when I'm waking up."

"Ever have a bad day or when you're tired and she's the one that takes the lead in making you feel good?"

"Well, yeah." If it was all one way, it wouldn't have been much of a real relationship. Of course, most of them weren't if he were honest about it.

"Congrats, that being what you could consider a bottom. You let her be the dominant one that night."

"Oh." Tony thought about that all the way back to the Yard.

It was Tim's turn to fix dinner that night and Tony watched him closely, realizing that he's in the best long term relationship he's ever had – just without sex. Confused he turned in early, just a few minutes after Eva, only to wake up a few hours later. He couldn't recall the details of the dream, just that it starred Tim and left him hard and throbbing.

"Maybe I'm not so straight after all." The whispered admission scared him as much as it thrilled him before he locked it away.

-NCIS-

Eva's first birthday landed on a Monday, so her party was set for Saturday. They'd been originally scheduled to be on call that weekend, but Balboa had happily switched his team in to cover for them. Eventually they'd really owe the other man, but Tony would let Gibbs worry about that one.

It would be a large party, with the whole team, Vance and his kids and the neighbors. Tony had also invited everyone that helped Eva, from the day care staff to the medical staff, wanting to share his joy in the progress she'd made. Dr. Clark still couldn't tell him what Eva's long term prognosis would be, but her health, strength and coordination were still slowly improving.

"Looking good, Abs."

"Thanks, Tony."

Much like for the baby shower, the dining room had been turned into a sea of pink, but this time it was a little brighter pink, going better with the green chandelier. Another change from the shower was that instead of panicking and hiding in the basement, Tim was working the grill like a master and Tony had to grin at the image through the window of McGee slapping at Gibbs' hand when the other man reached for something on the grill. Still smiling, Tony turned to his daughter, who was finally big enough to sit up properly in her swing and really enjoy it. "What do you think, Eva? Do you like the pretty colors?"

Eva squealed and slapped at her tray.

"We'll take that as a yes."

-NCIS-

She would be traveling light, so Ziva was very careful about what she packed as her mark watched her from the bed.

"Do you want me to go with you, my love?"

Back when she'd been a NCIS agent, she'd made sure that every alias he'd ever used was flagged by immigration. Getting him arrested on American soil was tempting, but not nearly enough for what he'd done. "Thank you, but no. Tony will be easier to control as long as he things he has a chance with me."

"I thought you'd been told he has a boyfriend now?"

"McGee? Hardly. He might have a crush on Tony, but Tony would never take it seriously. McGee has a nice home and he probably gave Tony a great deal of help. Otherwise, Tony would not have been able to handle things."

"And apparently it worked."

"Yes, and I will always be grateful for that, but it is time for her to come home." Ziva closed her carry-on bag and walked over to passionately kiss him. "To come home to us."

-NCIS-

Strengthening Eva's legs was the current goal of therapy and the unseasonably warm April morning had the two men out in the back yard with her while Gibbs enjoyed coffee as he sat at McGee's breakfast table with the Sunday paper.

Flexing and stretching done, Tony held her under her arms and let her bare feet touch the grass. She squealed and giggled, pulling her feet up, then stretching them back down to touch the grass again. Eventually his back was tired and his stomach was growling, so Tony straightened up, setting her on McGee's stomach.

"Here, you play horsey for a while. I'll fix lunch for us and bring it out here." He kissed Eva and almost kissed Tim before he caught himself. "I'll... I'll be back in a few minutes."

In the kitchen, he fumbled around with the sandwich makings and knew that Gibbs was covertly watching him. Finally, he leaned against the counter. "If we... are you going to invoke rule 12 on us?"

"Nope."

There was no hesitation in Gibbs' answer, which told Tony a lot, but he was still worried. "God, I don't want to screw this up."

He hadn't heard Gibbs move, but warm hands pressed against his shoulders and he leaned into the support, both physical and emotional. "You won't. Just take your time and talk to each other."

-NCIS-

Gibbs was quite capable of making his own sandwich, so he sent Tony back outside with lunch for two. Eva had already eaten, but there was part of a cut up banana on one of the plates for her to snack on while they ate.

They'd moved a blanket out onto the grass and now Tony and Tim were laying on it, facing each other, while Eva sat up between them. Tim had his free hand behind her, helping her to balance, while Tony fed her the little pieces of banana. After the first few pieces, Eva didn't want to be fed and insisted on picking up the banana chunks from the palm of his hand. She'd then squeeze the banana and eat it as it oozed between her fingers.

Gibbs watched, grinning, as he knew what was coming. Sure enough, the first time Tony wasn't quite fast enough giving her a new piece of banana, she reached out and patted both men with her sticky hands. Their laughter carried into the house and Gibbs shook his head. Every day they reminded him more and more of he and Shannon.

* * *

 **a/n - Gonna be a bad week around here, between the surgery and the worry and trying to get the house ready for an invalid when we don't know how mobile he'll be or when he'll be stable enough to be flown home. I'll be doing my best to post at least once a day, hopefully in the morning, but no promises. I'll probably be very distracted. Keep us in your thoughts, please. Thank you.**


	29. Chapter 29

"Eva's got both PT and OT today. You coming with us? We could take her to the park afterward."

"It's tempting, but the yard's not going to mow itself and I want to get the new plants in before it starts to rain." Tim looked out at the flats of pansies they'd bought a few days ago. "How about you call me before you head to the park and if I've got enough done, you can swing by and pick me up?"

"Sounds good."

Despite his words, Tony looked a little cautious, but Tim understood. They'd been practically joined at the hip these last few months, but he was tired of living in fear. "I'll be fine. Gibbs can be through the fence in just a few seconds and we've got our codes."

"All right, just don't be afraid to use them, okay?" Tony scooped Eva up and took the diaper bag when Tim handed it over. "After her appointments are done, we'll plan on coming by to pick you up. We'll grab some lunch and then go to the park. Maybe Gibbs will come with us, too."

"Maybe. Call before you leave the clinic." Tim smiled and waved as he watched them leave. Yes, he could go with them. Yes, he could call Gibbs and Gibbs would drop everything to come over, but it was time to start taking back his life. He'd managed a few minutes here and there, today he could handle a full morning. He would handle a full morning.

-NCIS-

For the most part, McGee's front yard was pretty low maintenance – a lawn surrounded by lush beds. After that first month when he'd dyed the lawn there'd been a silent competition between the various neighbors on the street and Tim was very pleased that his yard was always one of the better looking yards on the block.

Grass mowed, he started on the beds. The more plants he had there, the less room there was for weeds, but he still had to pull a few right along the edge. An unfamiliar car came down the street, catching his attention and Tim shifted slightly. Squatting instead of being down on his hands and knees gave him more speed if he needed to move quickly. The car slowed down and pulled up along the curb in front of the house and he stood, making sure his lightweight jacket was covering the weapon tucked against his back. The driver got out and Tim felt the breath catch in his throat.

"Oh, my God, Ziva? We thought you were dead." Stepping closer, he pulled her into a hug. "Where were you? What happened to you?

"Where is my daughter?"

Instantly suspicious, Tim let go and stepped back, giving her a careful look. "Why did you just leave her at the hospital like that, Ziva? Why didn't you tell Tony when you first found out you were pregnant?" Staring at her, hoping for some sort of answers, he slid his hand into his pocket. They'd set up a series of text warning codes, memorized sending them without ever looking. The hope had been to never need them, but today he was grateful he had them. "After all this time, why now?"

"If Tony can handle it, then her difficulties must not be too extreme. It is time she came home to Israel with me."

"Umm, no, Tony is her father."

"And I am her mother, McGee."

He shook his head. "No, I mean legally. Both in Israel and here in the US, Tony went to court and got full legal custody. Let me know what hotel you're staying at and I'll make sure to pass the message along."

"You have no right to keep her from me."

"Me? No, I don't, but Tony has every right in the world." For a minute he thought she was going to physically attack him, but then she turned and stormed off without giving him any information.

-NCIS-

Gibbs had his trusty old lawn mower out and was starting the task of cleaning up his yard. Summer was just around the corner and he couldn't remember the last time his place looked so neglected. He enjoyed every moment he was with the boys and his granddaughter, and was glad to help with their safety, but if he didn't get the lawn back in shape, he'd have to borrow a herd of goats.

With the vibration of the mower, he almost missed it when his phone buzzed in his pocket, but quickly grabbed it. He stared at the string of letters, then dropped the handle of the mower, killing the engine. Sprinting into and through his house, he jammed his SIG into his waistband.

Nothing was out of place in McGee's back yard, so Gibbs slipped in the back door as he pulled his weapon. He cleared the main floor and when he reached the living room he saw Ziva out front with McGee.

His phone rang and he answered it quickly as he watched the confrontation brewing outside, not giving his caller time to say anything. "Stay in a populated area. I'll call you back when it's clear."

 _Boss?_

"Just do it, DiNozzo." Gibbs didn't wait for a confirmation as he closed his phone. Tucking his gun back into his waistband, Gibbs tugged his shirt loose to cover it and went outside as the discussion between McGee and Ziva heated up.

"You have no right to keep her from me."

"Me? No, I don't, but Tony has every right in the world."

Gibbs saw Ziva clench her hand into a fist as he stepped closer. She looked over Tim's shoulder and her eyes went wide. He put every ounce of fury he was feeling into his eyes. All these months and not a word, not an indication that she was even alive. Now she just showed up, trying to make demands, trying to take Tony's little girl away, possibly out of the country? Hell, no, not on his watch. Before he could say a word, she turned and fled.

When the car burned rubber away from the curb and whipped around the corner, Gibbs turned his attention to McGee, taking his arm. Tim was trembling, which isn't a surprise, he was probably shaking a little bit, too.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, she just caught me off guard." Tim turned to look directly at Gibbs. "How did she know to come here?"

"That's a damned good question." Gibbs whipped out his phone and hit the contact button for DiNozzo. It was answered on the first ring.

 _What the hell is going on, Gibbs?_

"Where are you?"

 _We're at the mall by the clinic._

"Go to the Yard, we'll meet you there. Don't let anyone stop you." As soon as he disconnected, Gibbs was making a second call, this time to the Gunnery Sergeant that was in charge of gate security at the Yard. "It's Gibbs, got a situation. Former agent Ziva David might be trying to get aboard the Yard. Even if she doesn't have a gun, consider her armed and dangerous. Full escort of your best men. Thanks, Dom, I owe you."

This time he did put his phone away. "Lock up and let's go."

-NCIS-

Vance had hoped to spend the day catching up on reports. The kids were both at friends' houses, so he'd come in early, dressed in jeans and a sweater Jackie had given him the last Christmas she was alive. It was supposed to be just him, his favorite doughnuts and his favorite music. Now he had DiNozzo in his office, pacing in circles, Eva picking up on his stress.

"Was it his dad?"

"I don't know. All I know is that Tim sent out the alarm, then Gibbs told me to stay where there would be witnesses. Then I got a call from him to come straight here and not let anyone stop me."

The desk phone rang and Vance answered it with DiNozzo hovering over him. It was Randall, the weekend guard.

 _Agents Gibbs and McGee are on their way up, Sir. I let them know Agent DiNozzo was waiting for them in your office._

"Thank you, Randall." He set the handset back in the cradle. "Whatever's going on, we'll know in a minute."

When the door opened, Vance expected DiNozzo to head straight for Gibbs. Instead, he stopped in front of McGee, reaching out to touch his arm. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Judging from his expression, that was a lie, but Vance stayed quiet and let them sort it out.

Gibbs told them what McGee did not. "Ziva showed up at the house, demanded Eva."

"What?" Tony stared at him for a moment. "You mean, after all this time, she just showed up and thought I would hand my daughter over?"

"Looks that way."

When Gibbs answered, McGee finally became animated. "I need my computer." He left without another word and they could hear his footsteps as he jogged down the stairs. Gibbs and DiNozzo looked at each other before they looked at Vance. Without anything else being said, they all followed McGee down to the squad room.

McGee was already at his computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard, so Vance reached out and touched Tony's arm. "Call your lawyer, make sure your custody is air-tight." Tony nodded and handed Eva over to Gibbs as he pulled out his phone. Since it was a Saturday, Vance expected him to leave a message with an answering service or on a machine, but he was talking to a real person within a minute.

Tim jumped up, his chair flying backwards. "I shouldn't be doing this here. I'll go home and..."

'Why?' was on the tip of his tongue, but then Vance realized that he was hacking into something to find out what she was up to. "It's okay, keep going." He went right back at it, not even bothering to right his chair. A few moments later, he straightened up.

"She flew into DC this morning, cleared customs at 0845, rented a car and drove straight to my house." A significant look passed between Gibbs and McGee. Tony caught on before Vance did.

"How'd she know?"

"Exactly what we were wondering, DiNozzo."

Tony still had his phone out from calling his lawyer. This time it rang several times before it was picked up and he put it on speaker.

 _Hello?_

"Hey, Abs, you haven't talked to Ziva by any chance, have you?"

 _Ziva? No, but if I had, I would have given her a piece of my mind. Leaving her baby like that... I mean, Eva's so much better off with you and Timmy, but still... Why are you asking?_

"Because she showed up at McGee's house, expecting him to just hand Eva over."

 _What? You're going to fight her, aren't you?_

"Damn straight I am."

The phone call ended, but Vance was watching McGee. He was back at it with his computer, this time it was serious enough that he'd retrieved his chair. Judging from the background of the page he was scanning, he'd managed to get into Mossad. Vance was pretty sure he'd be hearing about this later, but his level of caring would be decided by what McGee found. "Well?"

"She's back on the payroll at Mossad, has been for quite a while."

Vance realized that he had never really seen DiNozzo mad before, not until now. "What? She thinks she wants to play mommy between assassinations? Not going to happen, not to my little girl." Tony took Eva back from Gibbs. "Come on, Hofstadter is meeting us at his office in thirty minutes."

"Do you want Eva to stay with me? Lara's at the house, she'd be more than happy to keep an eye on her."

Tony's arms tightened around Eva. "No. Thanks, but she's staying with me." Under the circumstances, Vance could totally understand that.

They had to wait a few minutes while McGee covered his online tracks, then the three men left. Vance returned to his office, but he'd lost his taste for the new album, the doughnuts were sitting like rocks in his stomach and he had no real interest in reading about a joint cyber-task force. Instead, he sat down and picked up Jackie's picture from his desk. "God, I miss you, Baby."

-NCIS-

The coffee was on and Nick Hofstadter already had the court records out on his desk. "The custody case was rock solid and her arrival shouldn't change that, but my biggest concern is that she could attempt to 'settle' for visitation rights. Other than Eva, she has no remaining ties in this country."

"You're thinking she could leave the country with Eva."

Hofstadter leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk. "You tell me. How far would she go to get what she wants?"

Tony closed his eyes briefly as he remembered certain moments in their history, staring down the barrel of her gun was one of the first that came to mind. "Too far. So, what do we do?"

"I'm going to suggest that we be very proactive. Let's not wait for the courts to order a home study, let's go ahead and do it now. Let's line up all her therapists and doctors and show just how much progress she's made since you brought her home from Israel."

"Investigate her?"

There was no hesitation in answering McGee's question. "Yes, absolutely. Why did she abandon her child in the first place? Why does she want Eva back now? The more we know, the stronger we'll be in court if it comes to that."

-NCIS-

Back at the house, Gibbs ordered a pizza, reminding them that they had to eat and Eva needed her routine. There was no arguing with that and while Tony paced, Tim fed her sweet potatoes and some ground up chicken. She'd always hated the strained meat, but grinding up meat that they cooked themselves seemed to be a bigger hit with the picky eater. "That's my girl. You eat all of this and you can have a piece of crust to chew on. See if we can get a few more of those teeth to break through."

Eva grinned and wrinkled her nose at him and when Tim leaned closer, she grabbed his cheeks with sweet potato covered hands.

"Oh, yuck, Eva." Tim grabbed her hands to minimize the damage.

Behind him, Tony laughed and wet a wash cloth. "Did Uncle Timmy make a mess?" Still grinning at his daughter, Tony wiped down Tim's cheeks before tackling her hands, getting each chubby wrinkle washed out.

Watching the three of them had become a secretly favorite pastime for Gibbs and looking at this family he couldn't imagine anyone breaking them up. Unfortunately, the reality of their job showed just how often wrong prevailed. When Tony's phone finally rang, he was ready to move.

Tony looked at the display. "Don't recognize the number."

"Probably her, let's see what she wants." Gibbs leaned close so he could hear without having any of the tell-tale signs of the phone being on speaker.

Tony took a deep breath, looking at McGee and Gibbs, and answered the call. "This is Tony."

 _Hello, Tony._

"Ziva. I heard you visited McGee today."

 _I was hoping to see you and our child._

"Really? After all this time, we became important to you?"

 _Tony, you've always been important to me._

At one time that throaty little purr would always get to Tony, they all knew it. Now, Gibbs saw an annoyed look cross Tony's face. "What do you want, Ziva?"

 _Why not start with something simple, like dinner?_ Gibbs nodded, they needed more information. _How about Nostos?_ Gibbs shook his head. Their territory, not hers.

"Umm, not really in the mood for Greek, how about Taylor's at 1800?"

 _Fine._ They could hear the tenseness in her voice before the call was quickly disconnected.

Gibbs pulled out his phone. "Hey, Bishop, put on a fancy dress. You and your husband are going out to dinner."

-NCIS-

Tony adjusted the wire slightly so that it wouldn't show as he sat at the restaurant, waiting for Ziva to arrive. Ellie and her husband were a few tables over; close enough to hear, but far enough away to not be too obvious.

Another new hire was busing tables and Dorney, along with several other agents were out of sight in case there was trouble. If it weren't for the lack of Gibbs and McGee, it would be like any other op. Movement at the door caught his eye and he saw Ziva walk in.

Dressed for seduction, she caught the eye of almost every man in the restaurant. Time, distance and a new view on life gave Tony the ability to look at her from a more clinical approach. There was a hardness to her now that the make-up and designer clothes didn't quite cover.

"Hello, Tony, you are looking wonderful." She leaned close and kissed his cheek.

"Beautiful as always, Miss David." Tony didn't respond past that and eventually she got the hint and sat down, the host helping her with her chair.

Orders were placed and wine poured before their waiter slipped away. Tony wet his lips with the wine as he watched Ziva down almost half the glass before she set it back down. "Nervous?"

"Should I be?"

"A lot of people would think so." Tony just stared at her for a moment. So many questions were running through his head, what to ask first? "Why?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why?" He was as interested in how she would interpret the question as he was in how she would answer it.

"I couldn't watch another family member die, Tony. I just couldn't."

The same basic answer Ben-Gidion had given when they'd arrived in Israel. That was interesting. It was a good answer and up until a few months ago, he would have bought it. Somewhere along the way, however, things had changed – he had changed. 'I'm not buying it' – the words were on the tip of his tongue, but he held them. Information, they needed information. "So, where have you been since you left the hospital?"

"I've been traveling, singing in clubs. Morocco, Istanbul, Nicosia, all over."

The same cover she'd used before, that was also interesting. "And now?"

"I realized how much I missed you." She reached out and rubbed her fingertips across the back of his hand. "How much I missed us."

It was all Tony could do not to jerk his hand away and scrub it on the tablecloth. "So, does that mean you're in DC to stay? Gonna try to get your old job back?"

"Can we start again, Tony? Just the three of us, someplace new."

"Just the three of us? Someplace new?"

She had gall, he'd give her that. Sure, someplace away from the team, he'd wake up some morning and Ziva and Eva would be gone – or worse, he'd have his throat slit and wouldn't wake up. She was smiling at him now, leaning forward even more and using her arms to push her boobs up. He didn't want to be here with her, he wanted to be home, playing with Eva and teasing McGee.

"I wanted to do that almost two years ago, Ziva. I never got a straight answer then either." He stood and tossed his napkin on the table. "Tell you what, when you decide what exactly you're doing here, give my lawyer a call. My daughter's life is here and she and I aren't going anywhere."

"Tony..."

"No." Leaning into her face, he planted his fists on the table. "What's her name?"

"What?"

"It shouldn't be that complicated, Ziva. What is the name of our daughter?" She stumbled over her answer and he pounced. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Her name is Eva Grace, she loves bananas and bubble baths and her current favorite toy is a stuffed bunny Uncle Tim gave her, named Boo-Bee. The people in her life know that and you're nothing but a stranger."

The pretext of seduction gone, Ziva's voice became hard. "You cannot keep my daughter from me, Tony."

"You've already abandoned her once, Ziva, and I'm not letting you hurt her again. You're going to have to prove yourself to me before I let you near her." Finished, he tossed some money on the table and stormed out, seeing her throw her napkin at his chair as he went out the door.

-NCIS-

Gibbs was giving Eva slices of banana, watching her squeeze them between her fingers and slurping them up. He was also watching Tim pace in the family room. There was no doubt that Tim was scared, but he was pretty sure the fear had more to do with family than any possible threat, even though the possibility of a threat was why he was here with Tim and Eva and not at the restaurant with DiNozzo. "Tony won't do anything stupid."

Judging from the flinch, he'd been right and Tim shook his head. "They've got a history together, Boss, and she is Eva's mother."

For all his brains, McGee could be so dense sometimes. Gibbs stood and lifted Eva out of the high chair and handed her to McGee, sticky fingers and all. Months of experience let him set her on his hip and easily wash her hands before taking her upstairs for her bedtime routine. Gibbs followed him, leaning on the bedroom door. "So, she gave birth to Eva. How many times has she put her to bed? Read her a bedtime story? Rocked her when she was sick? You're more of a mother to Eva than Ziva ever will be."

"Maybe." Tim sat down in the rocking chair with Eva and kissed the top of her head. "But eventually Tony will find someone to love. Then..." Tim's voice trailed off and he shook his head.

Gibbs wasn't one for platitudes so he didn't say anything as he laid a comforting hand on Tim's shoulder. If only Tony could fully move past the preconceived notions about life and love, but he couldn't push them along that path, only wait for one of them to make a move.

-NCIS-

Tony pulled the Prius into the driveway and left it there, eager to be home before Eva's bedtime. Once inside, he heard McGee's voice in the familiar cadence of the current favorite story, _The Hungry Caterpillar_. Smiling, and feeling the tension slipping away, he crept up the stairs. The story was just ending as he stepped into the room so he joined McGee at the side of the crib.

Wanting to reconnect with his family, Tony wrapped an arm around Tim and kissed Eva's head. She wasn't quite asleep, but she was pretty close. Tim smiled at him and quietly transferred Eva from his shoulder to Tony's. She burrowed her face against his chest and he just held on, enjoying the moment before he laid her down.

They had things to talk about and it wasn't a conversation for in front of his little girl, even if she wasn't old enough to understand the words. Tony smoothed the blanket over her and watched for a moment before leading them downstairs.

-NCIS-

"Did you eat?"

"I was at a restaurant, McGee." Tim gave him that look and Tony rolled his eyes. "Okay. No, I didn't eat."

Tim turned toward the kitchen, presumably to get Tony some food, just as headlights flashed in the front window. They were cautious, until they saw it was Bishop's car. Her husband stayed behind the wheel as she came up to the door with a bag.

Gibbs unlocked the door. "Bishop?"

"Here, he paid for it, somebody might as well eat it. And don't worry, she never had a chance to touch it."

She was gone in a flash and Tony tried to grin. "Hey, it's Bishop. She never misses when it comes to food. So, did McGee actually eat or just cut his food into microscopic pieces?"

Gibbs didn't answer but when they sat at the kitchen table he set a Styrofoam box in front of both he and Tim. Once the boxes were opened Tony realized he'd automatically ordered McGee's favorite for Ziva. Good thing they hadn't made it to actually eating, she hated linguine with the clam sauce, but there was something about watching McGee forget his fears for a few minutes and dig in that put a warm feeling in Tony's stomach.

They'd listen to the tape tomorrow, for now Tony just gave them the basics. "She was pretending like she just wanted to pick up where we left off, like abandoning Eva was nothing more than leaving her with a sitter for an afternoon. I'm done with her. Everything from this point on will go through our lawyers."

"Does she have one?" Tim held out a bread stick. It was barely browned, which Tony preferred. He checked the two in his box and found the darkest one to trade.

"Don't know, don't care. He handed Tim the darker bread stick, dipping the lighter one in the clam sauce before pulling his hand back. "You want some, Boss? Hey!" Tony gave a half-hearted swat at Tim's hand when he snuck a bite of Tony's lasagna.

"Nah, I actually ate dinner when it was dinner time." Gibbs was grinning and shaking his head.

"Okay." For the life of him, Tony couldn't figure out what Gibbs found so funny as he scooped up a little more of the clam sauce from Tim's box.

As had become their routine, Gibbs stood outside the back door, watching as they set the alarm. It was only when he saw the flashing light on the control panel that he returned home for the evening. Once it was the two of them, Tony turned very serious and stepped closer to Tim.

"I'm not sure how to define us," he waved his fingers between the two of them, "but the three of us," this time the wave was wider as he pointed up to Eva's room. "We're a family and she's not breaking that apart, okay?"

"Okay."

If he'd had any doubt, the relieved tone to Tim's voice would have told him how worried he'd been. "Good. Now, we need to know everything she's been up to, everyplace she's been, everything she's done."

"Don't worry. By the time I'm done, we'll know everything about what she's been doing since she fell off the grid."


	30. Chapter 30

**a/n 1 - In case you didn't notice, there was a chapter posted yesterday. Make sure you read that one first.**

* * *

Tony woke and stretched before rolling onto his stomach to look at the clock. It was still fairly early – at least for a Sunday morning when they didn't have to work – but Eva would be waking up soon. A great deal about fatherhood had surprised him, and the joy in watching his little girl first wake up was at the top of the list. He climbed out of bed, quickly went through his morning routine in the bathroom and then crept to Eva's bedroom door and eased it open a few inches.

She was dreaming, and it was a happy dream, judging from the smile as her eyes shifted around under closed lids. He continued to watch, waiting for her to wake up a little more on her own. When she started to shift around he opened the door a little more and softly called out to her.

"Eeeeevvaaaa, oh Eeeeevvaaaa."

She opened her eyes and gave a squeal as Tony walked into the room. He always wanted to scoop her up immediately, but the physical therapist wanted her to have more opportunities to work her muscles so he stood close to her crib and watched as she eventually sat up and grabbed the bars. Only when she was up on her knees, did he move closer. "That's my girl. Look at you, trying to stand up in your bed. You're going to be walking before we know it."

Diaper changed, they headed downstairs. Tony could hear the sounds of the keyboard in McGee's office, so he set Eva in her high chair and gave her some cheerios. "Here you go, you eat a few of those and see how far you can throw the rest of them while I check on Uncle Tim. Then we'll have scrambled eggs, okay?"

One handful went mostly into her mouth and the other handful went flying so Tony crossed the family room and knocked softly on the door to the office. There was a grunt, so he opened the door and walked inside.

McGee was in the flannel pants and t-shirt he usually wore to bed, but he didn't look rested at all. "You get any sleep?"

"Couple of hours."

"Actually sleeping in your bed, or napping at your desk?" All he got in answer was a shrug, which told him everything. Tony stepped closer and laid his hand on Tim's shoulder. "What have you found so far?"

"She had a flight out of Dulles reserved for last night that she canceled – both tickets."

"Both?"

"Yeah, one adult, one child – and Tony?" Tony stared at him as he told the rest. "The child ticket was under a different name, which means that she's got forged paperwork and passport to hide Eva if she gets her."

"Shit."

"I've got it flagged, plus every alias that she's ever used that I know of, but that's just scratching the surface."

McGee was right about that, but at least it was a start. "I'll let Nick know. You'd think that having false papers would show intent in a custody hearing. It would in a criminal case. What I can't figure out is how she knew to come straight here. Do you suppose she's got a contact at NCIS? Or..."

"What?"

"It's crazy, but the only other person who ever talked about me getting back together with Ziva was Senior. If she had talked to him..." McGee had a strange look on his face. "You found something?"

"When was the last time you talked to him?"

Tony didn't have to think too hard to remember that night. "When you and Gibbs broke the Rask case. You and Gibbs were interrogating the parents and sent me home early. Senior showed up that night, tried to talk me into quitting and moving to New York with him. He's got some business deal brewing with his new stepdaughter's father-in-law and wanted me in on it. Why?"

Tim wouldn't look him in the eye. "Don't really have a lot to go on right now, so I cast a pretty wide net last night. Basically, I ran a search for any connection between anybody she might have contact with, anybody that might have wanted to cause any of us trouble, that sort of thing."

It was part of the computer voodoo that McGee was known for and Tony would never understand. "Yeah, okay."

"Usually, when you step out a couple of connections past the furthest point of known connection, what you find is pretty random, and even if Gibbs doesn't believe in it, sometimes coincidences do happen, but..."

DiNozzo rule #38 – if McGee was babbling at 0700 on a Sunday morning, it was going to be bad. "Tim, just tell me."

"The morning after we broke the Rask case, your father placed a phone call to the Admiral."

"He called your father?" Knowing what happened less than a week later, Tony was glad he hadn't eaten yet. "Other contacts?

"The same evening my father visited you, Senior called him again. Since then, there's been scattered phone calls between them; the last one was about ten days ago."

"Oh, God, Tim." The implications were huge, but all Tony could think of at that moment was the fact that Senior had brought the Admiral back into Tim's life. "I'm so sorry."

Tim smiled at him, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Not your fault, Tony."

"You've really been on my old man's shit list since I was in the hospital, haven't you?"

"Yeah, well," Tim shrugged. "I wasn't going to let him pull the plug on you, not as long as there was the slightest chance you were going to make it."

Tony squatted down next to the chair, feeling the need to be closer to him. "That should have made you a hero in his book. It does in mine."

They were only inches apart; Tim blushed and ducked his head. "Thanks, Tony. I wasn't going to let him take you away from us and I'm not going to let Ziva take Eva away from you." Tony reached out and touched his shoulder.

"Away from us, you mean." Tim's smile almost took Tony's breath away and he struggled to get back on track. "So, calls to Ziva?"

Tim straightened up and pulled back, also. "Not sure yet, but there was a handful of calls from the Admiral to several numbers in the Middle East. Then scattered calls between both men and a satellite number I haven't been able to trace yet. I'll keep working on it."

Tony grabbed Tim's hands and pulled him up. "I know you will, but first, we're going to have breakfast. Come on, I promised our favorite little lady scrambled eggs." They could hear her playing with something in the highchair.

"What's she got now?"

"Cheerios."

A crunch underfoot finally brought a grin to McGee's face. "I'll get the broom."

Tony was at the stove, stirring the eggs when he realized that Tim had stopped sweeping and was staring up at the light fixture above the breakfast table. Curious, he turned down the heat and joined him. Through the frosted glass he could see the perfect shadow of a small 'o'. "Two points for Eva?"

Tim agreed. "Two points for Eva."

-NCIS-

True to his word, the lawyer had a home visit scheduled quickly. The social worker had a sour expression when she arrived, but nodded approvingly at the spotless and comfortable home. Tony watched nervously as she skimmed through all their copies of Eva's therapy reports.

"You work through your daughter's exercises here at home in addition to at the clinic?"

"I do. We have an area set up in the basement. Would you like to see that, too, Mrs. Gunnell?"

"I would, thank you."

Tony watched her look carefully at the stairs, his nervousness ramping up a bit. "Umm, we haven't installed baby gates yet, but we will once she starts to at least crawl. Tim, uh, Agent McGee, has been researching what type to get."

"That's quite understandable, Agent DiNozzo. Considering your daughter's level of handicap, I wouldn't expect you to prepare that far ahead."

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Tony turned. "Eva has delays and difficulties, but we don't use the word handicap and I'd prefer that you didn't either. Until there's no other choice, we operate here on the principle that her motor skills will continue to improve."

There was something in her eyes that told Tony he'd just passed some sort of test. "Understood, Agent DiNozzo."

Theresa Gunnell spent another hour at the house, taking notes and watching them interact with Eva. "All right, Agent DiNozzo, I believe I can write up my report now. Your lawyer should receive a copy in a week to ten days."

"Thank you. I appreciate you doing this so quickly."

"It was my pleasure and I wouldn't worry too much, Agent DiNozzo. You're doing a wonderful job with your little girl. She's lucky to have you." After a brisk handshake, Mrs. Gunnell was out the door, walking to her car. Tony watched her leave, not fully relaxing until she turned the corner.

-NCIS-

"Well?"

Nick Hofstadter smiled and leaned back in his desk chair. "If all of my cases were this solid, Tony, I could practically retire."

The little glimmer of hope that Tony been carrying around since the home visit grew a little larger. "Yeah?"

Nick pulled a thick file out of his desk drawer and dropped it on the table. "I've got glowing reports from every doctor and therapist that has ever seen Eva. I've got medical reports showing how frail and sick she was when she arrived and how much she's improved. I've got translated copies of the original reports from the hospital in Israel showing that Ziva never even attempted to check on her baby, let along visit. Psych evals showed that everyone in regular contact with Eva is sane, healthy and has her best interests as a top priority while Ziva pretty much failed hers."

"Really?" As angry and suspicious as he was, that surprised Tony. Mossad training should have made faking a psych exam a breeze. "Did they say why?"

The report in question was pulled out and quickly reviewed. "Apparently she refused to answer a lot of the questions about where she's been and what she's been doing. Got very defensive when she was pushed, too. The psychologist questioned her maternal instincts and her only answer was that she'd never been given the chance to bond with her daughter."

"Given a chance? What the hell, Nick – she was the one that walked away."

A hand was held up. "I know, but the suggestion has been made that a supervised visitation needs to happen."

"Oh, I don't know about that." Tony was proud of how rational he sounded when the little voice in the back of his head was screaming something more along the lines of 'hell, no.'

Even Tim, who had been fairly quiet and letting Tony handle things to this point was shaking his head. "Supervised by whom? Where would this happen?"

"A neutral facility is usually chosen and someone from Children's Services would supervise the visit."

Tony was still shaking his head. "Only if Tim and I are there also. She's a trained assassin, if she decided to just take off with Eva, some social worker wouldn't stand a chance."

"I can make it a requirement, that the only way you'll allow it is if you're present in the room. It's not exactly normal, but between her history and the fact that she had planned on flying out of the country with falsified documentation, I think I can make it stick."

"Why didn't the falsified documents end her custody battle right then?"

Tim had a very good point and Tony turned to his lawyer for an answer.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. This judge tends to lean toward the mother a lot of the time, but this is getting to be a stretch, even for him. Of course, Ziva is claiming that the papers weren't forgeries, but that they have the name she wanted to call Eva. You might want to see if you can confirm that, figure out who in Israel named the baby."

Tony nodded, knowing that Tim would get them the answers they needed.

-NCIS-

Tim stared at his phone for at least twenty minutes before he punched in the last number. It rang four times before it was answered by someone who seemed just as surprised that he'd make the call.

 _Tim?_

"Hey, Delilah, I need everything you had on Ziva before the baby was born. Well, actually anything since then if you have it, too."

 _Just like that? You haven't spoken to me since that day I told you about Ziva's baby and now you want me to drop everything and help you? Why?_

"Ziva showed up here. First thing she tried to do was take Eva and run. Forged documents, the works. Then she tried seducing Tony, trying to convince him to give up everything here and go with her. Now, she's suing for custody. She's also claiming to have no source of income, but I can prove that she's on the payroll at Mossad, has been for quite a while."

 _That's... okay, that doesn't sound good._

The hostility was gone from her voice and Tim breathed a sigh of relief. "No, it doesn't. Help us, please."

 _Okay, I'll send you everything we have._

"Thank you."

 _And Tim, I'm really sorry – about everything._

"Help us with this and we'll call it even."

-NCIS-

Eva was cutting a tooth the day of the supervised visitation, which left her cranky and not in the mood for any strangers. Ziva didn't pick up on any of the signs and scooped her up, proclaiming loudly to the social workers how much she loved her little girl. Eva responded by screaming and going rigid, eventually headbutting her mother.

Ziva wasn't able to totally hide her anger and the social worker intervened and took Eva from her while the court appointed psychologist observed. Eva didn't calm down for her either and so she was handed back to her daddy. Immediately, she clung to him, quieting down as he rocked and softly sang to her.

"You've poisoned her against me, Tony."

"She's a baby, Ziva, and she doesn't know you. What did you think would happen when you just rushed in and grabbed her? Besides, she's getting another tooth and she's probably hurting right now." As he spoke, Tony used his pinky to rub at her gums, making Eva grin.

The psychologist suggested that Ziva sit next to Tony and interact with Eva while Tony continued to hold her. That worked a little better, until Ziva attempted the gum soothing technique herself and was promptly bitten.

"Ouch."

Tony tried not to smile, he really did, but the social worker snickered. The psychologist tried to salvage the situation. "It looks like she's a daddy's girl."

Now he did smile as he slid his finger back into her mouth and she happily gnawed at it. "Well, she's been the center of my world since the moment I found out she existed. Sold my home to make sure she could get the best medical care available."

"And now I can provide that for her, plus a stable family."

"Exactly how do you plan on doing that, Ziva?" He probably should be leaving the questions to the experts, but neither the psychologist nor the social worker seemed to object. "You wanted to take her out of the country. Where would you go that would have the same level of medical care? How would you afford it? How do you expect to handle it all on your own?"

"You're doing it."

"On my own? Hardly. I've got a great support system. I've got Tim and Gibbs and Abby and Ellie, not to mention Ducky and Palmer. Even Director Vance. Eva is happy and healthy, even her heart murmur is healing on its own. Why would you want to interrupt all of that?"

"Because I am her mother, Tony. She deserves to be with me."

"No, she deserves to be with the parent that can take care of her the best, that puts her needs above everything else, and that's me, Ziva, not you."

"We will see what the judge has to say then."

"Yeah, I guess we will."

-NCIS-

 _I miss you, my darling._

Ziva leaned on her hand, forcing her voice to sound cheerful. "And I miss you, my love. I just wish this was all over and we could start becoming a family."

 _Will another payment be required?_

"I am afraid so. The baby was not feeling well so the visitation was – difficult."

 _Perhaps it is time for a more direct approach._

"Tell me."

-NCIS-

"Another hearing? Are you serious? We've been in front of this judge twice now, what else do we have to prove?"

Hofstadter leaned back in his chair and tossed a pen onto his desk. "Honestly, I don't know. You've shown all your financial records, how much of your income goes toward Eva's care. The medical records were very detailed showing her original prognosis and how much progress she's made. You're stable, have a great support system in place. She hasn't shown any source of income, no surviving family, no permanent address, even the report from the psychologist was against her. Honestly, Tony, I don't know why the judge is giving her so many chances. I'll tell you something else that pretty weird, Ziva's lawyer is going to call Gibbs up in front of the judge."

"What?"

"Yeah, I've got a contact in the office that tells me he's going to get served sometime today."

Tony really didn't like the sound of that. "Your contact know why?"

"Not a clue."

-NCIS-

"That is more firepower than Ziva is expecting."

He smiled at Emil. "One way or another, I will have the lovely Miss David totally under my control very soon."

-NCIS-

Ellie was sitting on the floor of Tim's office with her laptop while Tim worked at his desk. She looked up as he stopped typing, but he was listening to Eva over the baby monitor. She chirped a few times then apparently settled back to sleep. Even though the speaker was one way, Ellie still waited until Eva quieted before asking her question. "Is Gibbs at court just for moral support or did something else happen?"

"Ziva's lawyer demanded that he be present today. Apparently he has an unusual level of influence over Tony and they want to interview him in the judge's chambers." Tim didn't have to move his hands for Ellie to hear the quotation marks in that statement. Finally, he leaned forward and rested his head on his hands. "I know custody battles can get bad, but this one stinks. If we don't find something soon..."

A beep from Ellie's computer stopped him and he looked at her as she typed furiously. "Well?"

"I might have something. De...Delilah sent me what she had on Ziva's finances while she was still incognito. I finally found her account." She felt bad about bringing up the name of his ex, but he didn't seem to pay any attention.

"What are you tracking, money in or money out?"

Ellie could feel the flutter in her chest from getting close to an answer. "Since she showed up, there's only been one transaction – one big payment out."

"Send me what you've got on that, then you keep working on who's been financing her to begin with."

Ellie nodded and shot the files over to him. He was right, somebody was holding the purse strings. She started pulling public records on Eli David's estate.

-NCIS-

Tim was tired, bone tired in a way he hadn't been since his days as a grad student and teaching fellow, writing his thesis and grading dozens of papers at the same time. He ached in places he didn't know could ache, and his eyes burned and watered, but being this close to the possible answer rejuvenated him.

Twenty minutes later, the name attached to the account was staring him in the face. "Oh, my God."

"You tracked it?"

He was already printing up the documentation. "Harold Reinhardt"

"That's," it took her a second to place the name. "The judge?"

"Yeah." Tim turned and pulled the pages out of the printer. "Guess it explains why he doesn't want me in the courtroom, too. Go."

Ellie took the pages of proof. "I'm gone."

After he locked the door behind her, Tim returned to his office and sagged into his chair. Gibbs and Tony would have their phones off in the Judge's chambers, so there was nothing else he could do. Tim managed a short rest before Eva's squeals over the baby monitor had him back on his feet and going upstairs.

"Did somebody have a good nap?" Watching her smile at him through the bars of her crib always made Tim smile, too. Convinced that the worst was over, he scooped her up and tickled her tummy as he changed her diaper and got her dressed. "You hungry, little lady?"

He got another squeal as an answer, so Tim picked her up and settled her on his right hip as he started to walk out the door. First stop was the bathroom to wash his hands. Through the window, movement caught his attention and he looked out to see several men coming across the yard, from Gibbs' back yard. Alarmed, he stepped out into the hall to look down over the rail and through the leaded glass windows that surrounded the front door. The small beveled glass pieces gave a distorted image, but several figures dressed in all black were moving toward the front of the house. The sound of glass breaking was immediately covered up by the sound of the alarms going off.

-NCIS-

Judge Reinhardt smiled at the dark haired woman sitting in front of his desk. "Society today so easily forgets how important a mother is to a young child, especially a little girl." Ziva looked very pleased with herself and Tony's lawyer climbed to his feet to object, but before he could say anything the office door banged against the wall.

"And the money is important, too, isn't it, sir?" Ellie stormed in, several officers of the court behind her, and slammed the print-out on Reinhardt desk. "Checkmate."

Reinhardt eyes widened at the copy of his bank statement, but he forced his attention to the bailiff standing behind Bishop. "Remove this woman from my office."

The bailiff stepped forward, pulling his cuffs out. "Sorry, I can't do that. Interrupting a hearing is an annoyance, but taking a bribe is a felony."

Now it all made sense, all the second chances the court had given Ziva, and Tony climbed to his feet, turning his phone back on to call McGee. Next to him, he could tell Gibbs was doing the same thing. "It's over, Ziva."

Tony's phone started ringing the second it was on, as did Gibbs', but Ziva smiled at both of them as she also stood. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Her expression was smug and defiant and Tony felt a fissure of fear run up his spine as he grabbed her arm. "What did you do?" His phone had already gone to voice mail, but Gibbs had managed to catch his call in time, turning away from Tony and demanding answers from whoever was calling. That ramped up Tony's fear even more. "Ziva?"

"You should have given me Eva when I asked." She was still smiling at Tony when Gibbs roughly grabbed her arms and cuffed her.

The way he'd grabbed her, the expression on his face... Tony was almost afraid to ask. "Gibbs?"

"Break in at the house, shots fired."

"Oh, God."

* * *

 **a/n2 - Arrrggggg. I do not understand why it's so hard now to get a story to properly load. Apparently, you have to wait 24 hours+ to add a chapter and have it move up on the page.**


	31. Chapter 31

In their rush out of the courthouse, they'd only stopped long enough to retrieve their weapons, but even those few seconds seemed to add an hour to the trip home. Tony couldn't count how many crime scenes he'd been to over the years, but seeing the various patrol cars and ambulances around his home was something entirely different. He forced down his panic – at least until he saw a coroner's van pulling in. "Gibbs?"

"Steady, Tony." Gibbs gave up trying to get closer and pulled the car up against the curb. They both scrambled out, Gibbs already holding his badge up to fend off the uniformed officers trying to head them off. "Who's in charge?"

Without saying anything, the patrol officer glanced over at an older man standing in front of Mrs. Olson's house. Gibbs and Tony both recognized the bulk of a bulletproof vest under his jacket. That was good enough for them. Gibbs angled directly toward him, Tony right on his heels. Tony knew that if he'd opened his mouth, they'd know he was too close to the possible victims and they'd force him back behind the police line, so he kept his mouth shut and let Gibbs do the talking.

"Status report."

"Heard the homeowner is a fed, he one of yours?"

"Yes, he alive? What about his niece?"

The detective rubbed his hand across his face. "Crap, there's a kid in there? How old?"

"She's just a baby. Haven't your men..."

"Haven't finished clearing the scene. We're waiting for SWAT."

That got Gibbs moving again, Tony right at his side. "Like hell we are."

Tony saw Bishop finally arriving, parking behind Gibbs' car and running to catch up, but his attention was on the house. The detective was arguing with Gibbs, but eventually just shut up and followed them to the front door.

A heavy metal ram was laying off to the side, the shattered front door showing its use. Inside the door two bodies laid on the hardwood, blood pooling around them. The briefest of glances showed that they weren't McGee, so Gibbs, DiNozzo and Bishop continued on, ignoring the cops that stopped to check on them. Another pool of blood was on the stairs, smears going down, then mixing with the blood from the two unsubs in the entry.

The detective didn't seem surprised. "First responders caught one guy trying to get into a van. Bullet wound to the neck, witnesses didn't recognize him, he's in custody and on his way to the hospital."

More officers were arriving, so they split up. Bishop and three LEO's continued to sweep the downstairs while Gibbs, DiNozzo and the detective crept up the stairs. It was silent up there, the air heavy with the scent of gunpowder and blood.

The door to Eva's room was closed, but most of the center was blasted away. The splinters went both directions. That, and the body in the hall showed just how hard McGee had fought. The detective checked the other rooms, but Gibbs and Tony knew that their answers were behind this door. The handle turned, but the door was blocked from the inside. Looking through the holes in the door, they could see the dresser up against it. They could also see McGee's crumpled and still form at the far side of the room. Gibbs yelled down for a medic before they started working on the door.

It took the three of them to push it open enough to get through, but finally they did. It was probably only a few seconds, but to them it felt like forever.

"Tim? Don't be dead." Tony reached him first and dropped down to his knees, frantically looking around even as he checked for a pulse. The pulse was there, weak and thready, but Eva was not. They rolled McGee to better put pressure on his wounds, but Eva wasn't under him either. "Oh, God, where is she?"

A muffled cry could be heard, coming from near the window, and Tony remembered McGee's obsessive need for safety. He reached over and pulled the wainscoting away from the wall to expose the small pocket under the eaves. An emergency fire ladder was there, still in its bag, and behind it was his daughter, alive but bloody. "Eva!"

"How bad? Tony, how bad?" Gibbs was using both hands to try and slow the bleeding from the worst of McGee's wounds and couldn't let go as he watched Tony frantically look at his daughter.

Tony found the source of the blood, a graze wound on her left leg. If it had been on him, he would have shaken it off, but this was his baby girl. "Creased her leg." He held her close and started rocking her, his eye drawn to the wood panel he'd pulled away from the wall, Two bullet holes were in it, and in his gut he knew those two bullets had traveled through McGee first.

Bishop arrived, out of breath, dropping down next to them. "We've cleared the rest of the house. How..." Her voice died off as she looked at the two victims. McGee was limp, not even reacting to the heavy pressure Gibbs was putting on the bullet wounds in his chest and abdomen while the detective was clamping down on the gaping hole in his leg. Eva was rigid in her father's arms, making little whimpering sounds, but obviously in shock. McGee's SIG was laying next to her knee and she checked it. No one was surprised by what she found. "He was out of ammo."

Tony's voice was flat as he struggled to control his emotions. "He fought as long as he could, then he used his own body to protect her."

That knowledge seemed to suck the air right out of the room, then a wave of paramedics and ambulance attendants rushed into the room. They talked too fast for the rest of them to understand as they stabilized Tim before rushing him downstairs. One remained behind to quickly bandage Eva's leg and he didn't argue when Tony insisted on carrying her down to the ambulance himself.

Gibbs and Bishop followed as far as the front porch and watched the two ambulances pull away, Tony riding in the one with Eva. Ellie looked closely at Gibbs. He looked lost, scrubbing his bloody hands on his equally bloody pants, not realizing that it wasn't really helping. "Go."

"I can't."

Ellie stood her ground. "That's your son and your granddaughter. I've got the scene, just go."

He looked almost relieved to be told. "Call Vance, get another team out here." She already had her phone out before he stepped off the porch.

-NCIS-

Get to the hospital, get to his family. So intent on his goal, Gibbs almost didn't recognize the neighbors gathering on the sidewalk.

"Jethro?"

Gibbs looked over to see George, with Clara and Mrs. Olson behind him, both crying. Gibbs opened his mouth but no sound came out. George seemed to understand.

"We'll be praying."

He managed to nod before several uniformed officers moved them back from the crime scene. Gibbs forced himself to lock all his emotions away as he drove to the hospital.

-NCIS-

The phone in Bishop's hand barely rang before it was answered on the other end.

 _Bishop, status report._

"It's bad." Her voice broke and she took a deep breath, forcing herself to hold it together. "McGee was hit three or four times at least and one of the shots hit Eva. They're both en route to the hospital."

 _But they're alive?_

"Yeah, but McGee – I don't know. It's really bad."

 _The shooters?_

Ellie could feel her emotions threatening to spiral out of control, but giving a report helped. "Three dead, one injured. If there were any others, they were gone before the police arrived.

 _All right, be sure to turn your weapons over when Balboa's team arrives._

She shook her head, even though Vance couldn't see her. "No, that's not – McGee shot all four of them."

 _Damn._

-NCIS-

Arriving at the hospital, Gibbs flashed his badge and was led into a treatment room. Tony was sitting in a rocking chair with Eva on his lap, trying to get her to calm down. There was a heavy bandage on her leg, which told Gibbs that she'd already been treated.

He knelt down, stroking her damp curls, watching Tony, who was struggling to speak.

"She's... she's okay. They're going to keep her overnight, but it's mostly a precaution."

Gibbs nodded, swallowing hard before he asked the question he feared. "Have you heard anything..."

"He's in surgery. They're surprised he made it this far." Tony took a shaky breath, then another, deeper one, obviously forcing himself to remain calm. "He sacrificed himself to save her."

"I know."

"I'm scared, Boss. I can't lose him. I haven't even had the guts to admit how I feel about him."

With his free hand, Gibbs pulled Tony's head down against the crook of his neck, feeling tears against his skin a moment later. "I know, Tony. I know."

-NCIS-

"Damn, what a mess. More suction, I can't see what I'm doing."

"There's a bleeder, right there."

"Got it. Now let's find the next one." An alarm went off, leading to another flurry of activity. "Damn, I'm not sure how much more this guy can take. Hang two more units of blood."

"What a mess, how much can you save?"

"I'm not sure, but probably not enough."

-NCIS-

It had been hours since the shooting and Eva had been moved to a private room with the family gathered around them. Tony was sitting in a different rocker, Eva finally asleep on his shoulder. Abby was sitting next to him while Gibbs paced the room. Ducky had called Penny and now she was sitting on the small sofa, clinging to his hand. Bishop arrived with Vance and she immediately sat on Tony's other side, watching Eva.

Vance stood and waited for Gibbs to come to him. It didn't take long. "What have you got?"

"Two of the bodies have been identified, both were known international hit men. That means both the FBI and Homeland Security are involved at this point."

Gibbs didn't look all that surprised. "Can we connect them to Mossad?"

"Not yet, though that's what everyone is thinking. They've already disavowed any knowledge of what she was doing, claimed she's gone rogue."

"Do you believe them?"

Vance gave a snort. "Do you care? Sanctioned or not, they had to have some inkling of what she was up to. The more pressing question is how much was known by her contacts here."

Gibbs and Vance looked at Tony, who slowly looked up. "You're talking about my dad and -" He cut himself off, not wanting to tell Penny what they knew about her son and what they suspected.

Vance looked uncomfortable, but he pressed on. "I'm sorry, DiNozzo. I realize they're family, but -"

"Oh, hell, no. They stopped being family the moment they questioned Tim's place in Eva's life. My family is here in this room and in that... that operating room." Tony closed his eyes tightly and bit his lip, trying to hold it together, but a new voice shocked him into opening them again.

"Actually, he's in a recovery room."

Tony looked up and they all turned to see a very exhausted doctor leaning against the door jam, but Tony was the first one to ask, a sob bubbling out with the words. "He's alive? He made it?"

"It was touch and go for a while and we lost him twice on the table, but the man's got a strong will to live."

"So, he's going to be okay?"

"He's not out of the woods yet and I probably won't be breathing easy for a few days at least, but he's got a good chance. I'll warn you, he's got a long recovery ahead of him and it might not be a full recovery. One lobe of his lung was too damaged to save and he's lost his spleen and a chunk of his liver. The liver will regenerate in time, but the rest is a permanent loss. Plus, there's a lot of muscle damage in his leg and he's too weak to handle any kind of reconstructive surgery on it right now."

Penny didn't make any sound, but she turned to bury her face in Ducky's shoulder and they could all see her shaking. Tony was also silent, but his face showed exactly what he was thinking.

Any good doctor knows when to leave the family to absorb what they've been told. "I'll be spending the night here, so I'll be able to monitor him personally. I'll have one of the nurses come tell you when he's been moved to ICU."

The family was devastated, so Vance stepped in as family spokesman and shook the man's hand. "Thank you for everything you've done."

-NCIS-

The room was quiet for a few minutes after the doctor left, then Gibbs needed answers. "Duck?"

The question had been expected. "Living without a spleen will put Timothy at a higher risk of infections, but we can manage that in all likelihood. My concern is the lost of lung function. There is a very good chance he will never return to the field no matter how well he recovers from his other injuries."

Tony was staring at him. "But he's going to live, right?"

Ducky was too much of a realist to just say yes. "If he survives the next seventy-two hours, then we'll have a better prognosis. As Dr. Cruz said, it's quite the miracle that McGee has made it this far."

Eva stirred and Tony bent down to kiss her head and speaking softly to her. "He's going to be just fine, sweetheart. He won't leave us, I know it."

Above his head, Ducky and Gibbs exchanged a look before Ducky stood, pulling Penny up with him. "There's a waiting room right outside the Intensive Care Unit. Let's go down there so that you can see Timothy the moment he's settled into his room."

They were out in the hallway before Penny stopped. "What aren't you telling me? It's something else about the attack, isn't it?"

For the first time in his life, the words failed Ducky and seeing that, Penny turned back toward the room, not stepping back inside, but listening from the hall.

-NCIS-

Tony kissed the top of Eva's head, trying to center himself before he faced what was coming. Finally he looked up at Vance. "If my father had anything to do with this, I want him taken down. McGee's father, he... he's done worse, so I know he's capable of doing this."

Vance glanced over and saw the stony expression on Gibbs' face. "You're referring to whatever had him so spooked when he added the extra security system to his home?"

"Yeah."

Choosing his words carefully, Vance asked his question. "I know you want to protect his privacy, but if we're going after an admiral, I need to know exactly what he's done and what we can prove."

"So do I."

They turned to find Penny standing in the doorway, a determined look on her face. In the silence she walked back in, Ducky behind her.

Ducky continued walked over to Abby and took her elbow, gently pulling her to her feet. "Come along, my dear. It's going to be a very long night so why don't we fetch some drinks for everyone."

Judging from the look on her face, she was about to object and Bishop looked at Gibbs. He gave a subtle nod and tilted his head toward them. Understanding the silent command, Ellie took Abby's other arm and the three of them walked out the door, closing it behind them.

Once they were alone, both Vance and Penny turned to look at the other two, but it was Tony that spoke. "The Admiral really didn't like the idea of a gay son, so when he found out a member of his command was also gay, he blackmailed the guy into raping Tim."

Penny made a strangled sound as she pressed her hands against her mouth. Vance stared at Tony, then Gibbs. "This bastard arranged for the sexual assault of his own son?"

Tony's arms tightened around Eva. "Yeah, he wanted Tim to be so horrified by the thought of letting another man touch him that he'd stick to women because they would be safer."

"Well, shit." Vance dropped into one of the chairs, rubbing his face. "Do we have any proof?"

Tony glared at him. "What? Tim's word isn't good enough?"

Vance didn't take the outburst personally. "That's not what I'm suggesting, DiNozzo. McGee isn't in any shape to make a formal statement and I want an airtight case to throw the bastard in the brig or at least out of the Navy. We either need the rapist in custody or at least someone that McGee confided in at the time." He looked to Penny, but she shook her head.

"He never told me, but now that I know, it makes sense. He became very distant with all of us, then suddenly Sam left the Academy. Neither of them would discuss the reasons. I always assumed that something happened to Sam, but..."

"Sam outed himself to get out of the Navy to take care of Tim, to protect him." Gibbs finally also sat down. "I suspect that part of the reason they were going to move to Europe was to get further away from John."

Tony seemed to agree with Gibbs. "Then Sam was killed and he was on his own."

"What about the rapist? Can we bring him in?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Committed suicide, sent a confession to Tim before he blew his brains out."

They'd worked with less. "Does Tim still have the letter?"

Apparently unsure, Gibbs looked at Tony, who thought for a moment before answering. "I think so. He wouldn't talk about details and he never showed it to me, but my gut is telling me that he kept it – and I might know where he hid it."

Vance gave a grim nod. "Find me that letter and I'll drag him through the Pentagon in cuffs." Tony returned the nod, but he saw a problem.

"Statute of limitations is up on the rape."

Vance just shook his head, deliberately not looking at Penny. "Don't care. If we can't get enough to stick to arrest him and put him in prison, maybe we can embarrass him enough to force him to resign. Get me that letter and I'll make something happen. In the meantime, we're picking up your father."

"Good."

-NCIS-

 **New York**

It had been a busy few days for Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. but the apartment across the hall was almost ready for Tony and Ziva's arrival. The same designer that had done the nursery for his step-granddaughter would be putting the finishing touches on Eva's room in the morning. A knock on the door interrupted his musing.

The doorman was standing there with two men in dark suits. A badge was held out; it looked like Tony's. "Mr. DiNozzo, you'll need to come with us, sir."

"Why? What's going on? Has something happened to my son?"

The agent stared at him and held up a set of handcuffs. "I have authorization to use these if I need to, sir."

Senior blinked several times, then gave a nervous laugh. "Gibbs must have sent you, he has a strange sense of humor."

The joke fell flat as the expression on the two agents' faces turned even sourer. The second agent spoke for the first time. "No sir, our orders came directly from the Director. I assure you he finds nothing funny about the attempted assassination of a federal agent."

"What?" Senior stumbled back, grabbing a chair to stay on his feet. "Did something happen to Tony? Is my son all right?" His coat was there and he picked it up, only to have it taken by one of the agents who patted it down and checked the pockets. "Is that really necessary?"

Instead of answering, the other agent started patting him down also and he finally began to realize just how serious this was as his wife came out of the bedroom.

"Anthony, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure. Call my lawyer." He turned to the agent closest to him. "Can you tell me at least where we're going?"

"DC."

Linda already had her phone out. "Let me come with him."

"Sorry, Ma'am."

"I'll pay for my own ticket."

"Military flight, Ma'am. Only civilian allowed is the prisoner."

-NCIS-

Feeling every bit of his age, Ducky returned to Eva's room once again. He'd managed to get Penny to the ICU waiting room just in time to see Tim for a moment, then convinced her to try and get some rest since it was almost morning. He walked in to find Abby and Ellie each curled up on the sofa while Tony was in a chair next to the crib and Gibbs was leaning against the wall. Everybody had their eyes closed, but were instantly awake when he stepped inside.

Ducky didn't beat around the bush. "Timothy has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit."

They'd been warned that his visitors would be limited until he was more stable, but Tony had to see him, if only for a minute. He turned to the girls. "Can you stay here with Eva?"

"Of course." Ellie's answer was almost instant, Abby's nod a little slower. Knowing how close Abby and McGee were, Tony almost felt guilty but he had to see him before anything else happened. Gibbs didn't say a word, just followed them out of the room.

Outside the ICU, Ducky stopped them with a very serious look on his face. "I want you to prepare yourselves. He looks very bad right now and there's a lot of equipment."

"Seen it before, Duck."

"Not like this, Jethro."

-NCIS-

Gibbs didn't want to stop. "Seen it before, Duck." He had, too. Those first few days after Tony had been hurt were still etched clearly in his mind. Ducky just shook his head.

"Not like this, Jethro."

Tony was moving again and Gibbs stayed right behind him. Once inside the room, he saw that Ducky was right. "Ah, McGee."

Tim was laying very still, naked except for a folded sheet to protect his modesty. Incisions crisscrossed his body, staples and black stitches stark against the pale skin. Tubes, drains and wires snaked across his body and the numbers scrolling across the various machines didn't seem high enough to keep a man alive. Next to him Tony moaned and Gibbs grabbed his arm as he swayed.

"Easy, Tony."

"Oh, God, Gibbs..."

"I know." Gibbs stayed right next to Tony as he moved closer to the bed.

Behind them, Ducky quietly filled them in. "The shots to his shoulder and arm were from the front, the rest of the shots were from the back."

"Those bastards shot him in the back?"

Gibbs didn't know how much of the crime scene Tony remembered, but he would never forget any of the details. He remembered the impacts on the wall and knew when most of the hits had happened. Probably after he'd run out of ammo, definitely after he'd put himself between the shooters and Eva. He debated telling Tony but looking at the other man he realized that he didn't have to say anything, he already knew.

There was a chair near the bed. Tony reached for it, but couldn't quite reach it, not unless he let go of the bed rail, so Gibbs snagged it and pulled it closer. Tony sat down and reached between the rails to brush his fingers through Tim's hair.

"You're my hero, Timmy."

* * *

 **a/n - this is where I wanted to update you and thank you for all your support. Well, I still thank you for the support (It really means the world to me right now), but his damned doctor called in sick and they canceled the surgery at the last minute. As in, he was gowned up and ready for his pre-op meds. We now have a new surgery date of the 23rd, so we're still in a holding pattern. I realize that 11 days isn't the end of the world, but when your kid literally hasn't slept for more than a few hours a night for MONTHS because of the pain he's in, it was a hard blow for everyone.**


	32. Chapter 32

Three hours sitting at a military base with two agents staring at him and refusing to speak was unnerving, but Anthony DiNozzo held out the hope that the delay meant that they were waiting for a private jet. Instead, they were now boarding what looked to be some sort of cargo plane.

He laughed, feeling it dry up in his throat when the two men glared at him. "Oh, come on, this can't be the best you can do. This thing doesn't even have any seats in it."

One of the agents, the shorter one, shoved him down onto a stack of something that smelled as bad as the inside of the plane looked. "Sorry, first class was all booked up."

"Do I at least get a seat belt?"

There was some sort of webbing behind him and the agent ran one of them through his cuffs and hooked it somehow to the wall. Once that was done they moved to the other side of the plane and sat down across from him. He noticed that they were sitting on something that looked a lot more comfortable.

"Is my son meeting us when we land? I'm sure he won't be too happy about the way I'm being treated."

The other agent stared at him for a long time, finally shaking his head. "I can't imagine Agent DiNozzo will be leaving the hospital in the near future."

"What? What are you talking about?" However, neither man would answer him.

-NCIS-

Their ten minutes were up and Tony reluctantly stood up. When he moved away, Gibbs took his place, bending down to whisper in Tim's ear. "You're going to be all right, son. I'm not giving permission for anything less. Tony and Eva need you. They're always going to need you." Close to breaking down, Gibbs brushed his lips against Tim's forehead as he straightened up. Penny was watching for the door and Gibbs realized she'd given up her time for them.

When they joined her in the hallway, she caught Gibbs' arm. "Did John have something to do with this? Can you prove it?"

Gibbs wasn't one to pull punches, but he had a soft spot for Tim's grandmother. "There's a difference between knowing and proving."

"What does your gut tell you, Jethro?"

He didn't answer, but he knew she could see it in his eyes. Tearing up, she turned to Ducky for comfort.

-NCIS-

As director, Leon Vance didn't get directly involved in many cases, but this was no ordinary case that had him standing in the observation room. Through the two way mirror he could see Anthony DiNozzo, Senior sitting at the table, fidgeting more and more as the time passed. He did enjoy the moment that the door opened and Senior jumped.

The new arrival was Ned Dorneget who was escorting someone in. A lawyer, by the looks of him. Hoping for some insight into what Senior was thinking, Vance listened carefully.

"Agent Dorneget, right? You remember me, don't you? Surely you know this is all a mistake, a misunderstanding."

Dorney stared down at Senior, eventually shaking his head. "I thought you were a nice guy, but..."

"I am." There was a desperation in Senior's tone that caught Vance's attention. "Whatever is going on, it's a mistake. I swear."

Not bothering to answer, Dorney left the room and Senior turned to his visitor. Vance was right, this was the lawyer they were waiting for, but Senior didn't seem all that happy to see him.

"Mr. DiNozzo, I'm Andrew Parker. Jonathan Banks asked me to take your case – or at least sit in on your interrogation."

"Where is Jonathan? Nothing personal, but he's my lawyer."

"He's not a criminal lawyer. That's why he called me."

"What do they think I did?"

"You tell me."

"I don't know."

Parker didn't look impressed with that answer. "Think harder. You're being held for conspiracy to commit two counts of murder and it's being classified as a hate crime."

Interesting, Vance wasn't expecting the lawyer to be asking those kind of questions in a room where he knew there was a good chance they'd be overheard. He waited for the answer.

"A hate crime? They think I tried to have McGee killed? I didn't ask for that, I just wanted him away from Junior."

Even more interesting. Senior immediately made the jump from 'hate crime' to McGee as the victim. Parker's eyes shifted toward the mirror and Vance knew he wasn't going to let his new client say anything else, but Senior had let on more than he realized. Picking up a folder and a notepad, Vance stormed into the interrogation room, letting the door slam behind him and enjoying the way both Senior and his lawyer jumped at the sound. Senior looked especially surprised to see him.

"Where's Gibbs?"

Vance didn't pull any punches. "The fact that you're still breathing should tell you that he's not even in the building."

"Is that a threat against my client?"

A glare made the lawyer flinch. "Oh, you'll know when I start to threaten your client." Vance opened the folder. Both DiNozzo, Sr. and Parker glanced down to see what it held, but the top page gave nothing away. "Okay, let's start at the beginning. Eight months ago, your son, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo was severely injured and hospitalized in a coma."

"Well, yes, but what does that have to do with anything here?"

"You had a confrontation with his partner, Special Agent Timothy McGee, is that correct?"

Senior bristled at the term 'partner', both Vance and Parker noticed that. "They're part of the same team, they're not partners, and McGee was interfering with my making medical decisions for Junior."

Now the first page in the folder was turned over to be read. "He wasn't interfering, because Agent McGee has your son's medical proxy."

They saw the first glimmer of anger from Senior. "There's no way Junior would have agreed to something like that."

"Really? Even though your son is Agent McGee's medical proxy?"

Senior's mouth snapped shut and Vance had to smile. "Didn't know that, did you?"

The next sheet in the folder was turned over. "I have a signed affidavit from the lawyer that did the paperwork for both of them. They came in and signed their medical forms together, so actually McGee wasn't interfering with your medical decisions, you were interfering with his."

Vance let him chew on that for a moment, then dropped his next bombshell. "Oh, and at the time, except for a few small bequests, Timothy McGee was your son's sole heir."

That definitely shocked Senior and Vance pushed on. "Of course now his primary beneficiary is his daughter, with Agent McGee named as her legal guardian."

Senior shook his head. "But he's not family."

"He is to Tony." Vance gave him a hard look before getting back to business. "You were heard making threats to Agent McGee at the hospital. You lied to hospital administrators and had him removed from the hospital."

Suddenly looking his age, Senior rubbed at his mouth. "I thought I was doing the right thing."

"By ignoring everything your son had set up? I'm not buying it."

The lawyer finally stepped in. "What, exactly, is my client accused of doing that was illegal? So far, all I'm hearing is poor judgment on his part."

Senior glared at him, but was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. Vance started laying out the timetable, starting with the phone call from Senior to Admiral McGee. "Mind telling me about that call?"

Leaning back in his chair, Senior gave the impression he was back on solid ground. "I won't deny that I wanted Junior and Eva to live in a healthier environment. After all, Junior is most certainly straight, but I wasn't so sure about McGee."

"So, you encouraged the Admiral to have a talk with his son, is that correct?"

"Well, yes. I mean, I'm sure Junior is comfortable there, but he needs to get his life back on track and he couldn't do that living with McGee."

"Of course." Vance gave a nod, the one he used when one of the kids was trying to get something past him. "I see. And your second phone call? The one between yourself and Admiral McGee after he visited Agent McGee's home?"

"He confirmed that his son was gay and suggested that Junior was also gay. When I informed him that Junior was certainly not gay, that he was dealing with the love of his life leaving him, the Admiral suggested that I find her. When I told him that I'd tried, he helped me track her down."

Parker cut in, resting his hand on Senior's arm. "Again, I'm not seeing anything illegal here."

Vance leaned closer. "The problem is that when she arrived, after the two of you tracked her down and brought her here, she brought armed gunmen."

"What?" Senior sat straight up, wide-eyed.

"Agent McGee was gunned down protecting Tony's daughter from those gunmen."

"No, there must be some sort of mistake."

"Really? Because your granddaughter, your fourteen month old baby granddaughter, is in the hospital with a bullet wound. A bullet that went through Timothy McGee first." Disgusted with the man, Vance stood up and kicked his chair out of the way.

When he picked up the folder he let the few remaining pages slip out, photos that landed on the table. One was of Eva, bloody and screaming, at the hospital and the other was the large blood pool from where Tim fell. Vance didn't pull any punches. "I'll let you and your fancy lawyer figure out how to spin this."

"It wasn't supposed to happen like this." Senior reached out and touched the picture of Eva. Behind her, and slightly out of focus, he could see Tony's devastated face as he tried to comfort her. "Ziva was supposed to convince Junior to move to New York so that the three of them could start a new life together."

"Really?" Vance stared down at him, arms crossed over his chest as his voice went cold. "Then she played you for a fool because she was planning on leaving the country with Eva the second she could get her hands on that little girl."

-NCIS-

Gibbs was torn. He didn't want to leave the hospital, he didn't want to ask Tony to leave, but they needed to track down anything that would nail the Admiral. He watched as Tony sat in the rocker, soothing Eva back to sleep.

Before he could come up with a decision Tony stood, swaying gently to ease the transition as he laid Eva down in the hospital crib. "Tony?"

Tony smiled down at his daughter before turning back to Gibbs. "Let's go find that letter."

Gibbs nodded as he glanced at the wall clock. It was almost time for them to be allowed to see McGee again. Abby and Ellie both moved closer to the crib as they left the room. It was unspoken, but they went directly to the ICU. Gibbs gave a brief nod to Ducky as they passed. Penny was dozing in the waiting room since she'd gotten the last visitation.

Dorney was now on guard duty and gave them a slight smile. "I think maybe he's looking a little better."

Stepping through the door, Gibbs wasn't so sure.

-NCIS-

There was something very comforting about feeling the weight of his sleeping daughter against his shoulder. It was very tempting to stay like that but his family wouldn't be safe until this was over. Tony carefully stood, continuing to rock slightly. Eva stirred, but the familiar movement settled her right back down. Carefully, he stepped closer to the crib and laid her back down. Abby had bought a teddy bear for Eva and after he had Eva in the crib he moved it closer to her. Thumb in her mouth, bear tucked up against her, she shifted around but didn't wake up. He held his breath for a moment longer but when the transition held he looked over his shoulder.

"Let's go find that letter."

Penny had been very gracious in sharing the few minutes they were allowed to be in with Tim and their allotted ten minutes was coming up. Neither man spoke of it, but they went directly to the intensive care unit.

Ducky was getting into a different elevator when they arrived. He and Gibbs nodded to each other, but Ducky made no effort to change his path, so he was probably on a food run. In addition to helping with all the medical info, Ducky had appointed himself as Penny's support system. Tony was grateful for that. He loved the woman, loved the relationship she had with her grandson, but he didn't have the energy to give her the support she needed right now.

A shift change had happened since the last visit and now Dorneget was standing watch at McGee's door.

"I think maybe he's looking a little better." Good old Dorney, always trying to look a the positive side. Tony mentally crossed his fingers.

Was he looking any better? Tony leaned close, taking in every detail. Tim was so very still but his skin looked a little less gray, maybe. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part. He spoke very softly, more because his throat was tightening up than any fear of waking the unconscious man. "It's my turn for the heavy lifting, Tim. You just concentrate on getting stronger, you hear me?"

The words dried up and Tony pressed his lips against Tim's forehead, willing his strength into Tim. Pulling away much sooner than he wanted to, he nodded to Gibbs and stepped back to give the older man a turn.

As he watched, the stoic expression crumbled for a moment before Gibbs regained control and spoke. "Tony and Eva need you, Son. Don't let them down." Gibbs paused before leaning closer to whisper directly into his ear but Tony could still hear him. "We all need you."

-NCIS-

Gibbs was a man of action and he felt better actually doing something, but not by much. As they pulled away from the hospital, he glanced over at Tony in the passenger seat. "Any ideas, or are we searching the whole house?"

Tony seemed to consider his words, then spoke slowly. "It's one piece of paper."

It took a second, but Gibbs made the connection. Tony was referring to the forged marriage certificate hidden in McGee's desk drawer. "We're looking for another false bottom?"

"I think it's a good place to start."

Neither man spoke when they arrived at the house. Balboa and most of his team was still there along with a team from the security company and an unknown man in a suit and tie.

"Mark."

"Hey, Gibbs." Balboa's voice was gentle, which was almost too much for Gibbs to handle and he had to swallow hard.

"Who's..." He jerked his head toward the suit.

"Insurance adjuster. I told him he couldn't go inside until the investigation was complete, so he's just photographing the outside."

Gibbs just grunted. He didn't want the man inside yet either. What happened here was too raw and too personal for strangers right now. "Good."

The last time they'd been here, they'd been focused on finding survivors. Now, Gibbs and Tony really looked at the damage as they walked up to the front door, Balboa right beside them, probably ready to fill in the details. The front door needed no explanation. It was smashed in, a massive sledgehammer laying on the front porch. Most of the windows were broken, probably by gunfire.

Balboa stepped inside with them and gave Gibbs a careful look. "Did McGee usually wear his sidearm at home?"

Gibbs was pretty sure he knew the answer, but he turned to Tony for verification, since he lived in the house.

"Of and on, especially these last few weeks."

"Yeah, that's what we were figuring. It looks like the first shots were exchanged on the stairway. McGee at the top of the stairs, the assailants at the bottom, trying to get up to him. He got two of them right here, both with head shots, one in the throat and the fourth was just winged."

-NCIS-

 _Tim was trapped, he could hear glass breaking at the back of the house in addition to the boom when the front door gave way. He didn't know how many were coming in, but one clip probably wasn't going to be enough. He had more in his bedroom, of course, but there was no way of getting to them. Tony had one in his dresser drawer, but getting there was going to make him visible to the attackers in the foyer._

 _It wasn't going to take them long to realize no one but them was downstairs, so he had to act quick. Luckily, Eva hated noise and she was too scared to cry out but that wouldn't last long. Keeping Eva in her room, he drew his SIG as he peered around the corner. Several of them were already moving up the stairs, so he called out that he was a federal agent and that he was armed. They responded by shooting and Tim fired quickly in response._

 _Just like when Tony had been attacked, his vision tunneled down to each forehead. Just as quick as he could pull the trigger, then move on to the next suspect, three shots, three hits. Two dropped instantly, but the third had been running up the stairs fast enough that McGee's bullet hit low. Blood flew, the man staggered, clutching his throat, before he went down._

 _That split second of watching cost him as another gunman appeared, running up the stairs, firing as he went. The analytical part of Tim's mind told him that this suspect had an automatic weapon, something with a pretty big bore, when plaster started flying. He got one more shot off and prayed that he hit something as he gave up on getting to Tony's bedroom and retreated to Eva's. Something tore through his arm and he stumbled against the wall as he ran. Acting purely on instinct, he fired behind him and heard a grunt and a thud. A curse followed a second later, telling him he still had an attacker close by._

-NCIS-

Balboa continued to talk as he pointed out the various bloodstains and splatter. "Gunmen one and two went down here. Like I said, they were both head shots. The one that took one in the throat was a couple of steps higher when he got hit. He's our one survivor, but it doesn't look too good for him. There was one more shooter in the group, looks like he was behind them or arrived late, because he's the one that left bloody footprints."

"He ran through his teammates' blood."

"Exactly." Balboa pointed out a much smaller blood stain. "McGee was here when he got hit. Arm or shoulder, not sure which one, but he was still able to move, so not any of the shots to his torso or leg."

Gibbs stared at the blood stains, feeling a cold rage building inside him. A smear of blood on the wall showed where Tim had stumbled, then forced himself to continue. Beside him, Tony looked like he was about to puke, but he took a deep breath and seemed to pull himself together.

Another blood stain was visible, one closer to the railing of the balcony. Gibbs studied it for a moment, then Balboa gave his opinion, which seemed to fit what they were looking at. "Another exchange of gunfire happened here in the hallway. Looks like McGee got the guy that he winged earlier, but he was wearing a vest. Put him down for a few seconds, gave him time to get to the baby's room and block the door."

-NCIS-

 _Frantic, Tim ran back to Eva's room. He knew there were more men approaching, he'd seen them coming across from Gibbs' yard. If he grabbed her and ran downstairs, he'd be running right to them. However, if they were all in the house, he might have a chance to take her out the window. He just needed a way to buy himself some time and block them from seeing what he was doing._

-NCIS-

Listening to Balboa, Gibbs touched one of the bullet holes in the wall. It would take forensics days to sort out which bullet came from which gun, but his experience and his gut told him that McGee was probably close to running out of ammo at this point. Even if every shot had hit its target, he'd probably almost used half his magazine's capacity.

-NCIS-

 _Block them, he had to block their access to the room. There wasn't much to work with in here, then Tim's eyes landed on the dresser. It was heavy, especially filled with all of Eva's clothes. Moving it to vacuum on a regular basis, he and Tony had discovered it moved to the side easily, but the shape of the feet made it almost impossible to move forward and back on the carpet._

 _Gritting his teeth, he ignored the pain and slid the dresser until it was in front of the door. With any luck, that would give him enough time to get the ladder out of the knee wall._

-NCIS-

They arrived at the bedroom and Tony let out a moan. He'd known it before, but seeing the once beautiful room torn up and bloodied hammered home just how horrific the attack had been. Eva might be young enough to not consciously remember the events, but he wondered how many future nightmares would actually have their root in this. He reached out and touched the door – or at least what was left of it. The splinters showed that the bullets had been flying both directions.

The dresser was still where they'd shoved it the day before, the top surface covered with wooden splinters from the door. Walking around it, Tony found Boo-Bee, torn in half from a bullet. He bit back a sob as he picked it up and held the stuffed bunny close. Underneath the gunpowder and blood, he could still smell the scents of home and family, baby powder, freshly baked bread, the laundry soap they used for Eva's things and a touch of Tim's aftershave.

Determined to get all of that back, Tony took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and turned to Balboa, ready to listen.

"We're still trying to piece together what happened once he got in here. Obviously, he tried to block their way in. I'm guessing he hoped to hold them off until help arrived. The alarms were going off and the security company had dispatched units. Metro was on their way and the dispatcher from the security company was already on the phone with NCIS. According to the neighbors, they could hear sirens, same time as they heard the last volley of gun blasts."

The backpack that held the emergency ladder was still on the floor where he'd tossed it to get to Eva and Tony shook his head. "No, he was planning on going out the window with Eva." There were still several techs and agents collecting evidence and once Tony confirmed that the backpack had been photographed, he accepted a pair of gloves and opened the pack. "Every bedroom up here has a fire escape ladder, just like this one."

Gibbs was already moving toward the window. "McGee's a planner, that's a given." At the window, several panes of glass were shattered. Past the remaining shards of glass he pointed out holes in the screen. A closer look showed the direction the bullets had traveled. A few went out while more had come in through the window. Looking around, they found several bullets buried in the ceiling, showing the sharp angle of the shots. "His last escape route was cut off. No way out, he tried to protect Eva the only way he knew how."

-NCIS-

 _The ladder bag in hand, Tim staggered the few steps to the window. His vision was starting to get fuzzy but out the window, he saw more men in the back yard. They saw him, too, and as he jumped back, shots rang out, instantly shattering the glass. Instinctively, Tim returned fire, letting a volley of three shots prove that he meant business before he cursed the wasted ammo. They were a threat, but the survivor in the hallway was a bigger threat._

 _Sure enough, a shot rang out behind him, then several more. The door was solid, but not particularly thick and the center panel didn't stand up well to the powerful weapon. Firing over his shoulder as he grabbed Eva, Tim prayed that the distraction would give him enough time. Firing again, he pulled the wall paneling loose and tucked Eva in the hidden space. She was terrified by the loud noises and silently hyperventilating as he ran his hand across her head, mentally saying goodbye. "Stay quiet, Sweetheart, Daddy will find you. I love you."_

 _Determined to protect her, Tim partially closed the panel and wedged the ladder pack up against it before closing it the rest of the way. He could hear yelling out in the hall and fired again. Something hit the ground before more shots were fired into the room. Tim returned fire until his weapon was empty, then threw himself across the hiding spot as his world exploded in pain._

-NCIS-

Gibbs watched as the newly found evidence was carefully recorded and bagged. Even without waiting for the lab to identify the dozens of spent rounds found in the house and now the yard, they knew that there had been more shooters here than originally suspected. He and Balboa exchanged a look. "This was bigger than we thought."

"Yeah."

Tony hadn't reacted to their words and Gibbs turned to look at him. He was still on the floor, still with the blood-stained ladder bag. He'd opened it further to show several bullets caught in the rungs of the rolled up ladder. Gibbs could tell that Tony was overwhelmed and gently laid his hands on Tony's shoulders, giving them a squeeze before easing him back so one of the techs could move in.

"He saved her and he's still with us."

Tony nodded and let Gibbs pull him to his feet. "I know. It's just..."

Gibbs got it, he really did. "Yeah." Forcing himself to concentrate on the task at hand, Gibbs turned towards the door. "Let's do this."

* * *

 **a/n - Okay, it looks like his new surgery date it as risk. Since his will be a 6+ hour surgery, and he's being squeezed in, he's apparently at a high risk of being bumped from the schedule. If that happens, he may not get another surgery date until after the first of the year. Considering how much the damage is growing from not being treated, that's a huge risk.**

 **He's not the only soldier over there whose medical care has been sub-par and today I've started the first volley in getting a congressional query into the failure. At some point I may be asking for letters, emails, etc. to get this going. Yes, our men and women in the military signed on to possibly give their life for this country, but having it be from a lack of basic medical care is nowhere near the same thing.**


	33. Chapter 33

He wanted to scream and yell and throw things, but Tony took a deep breath and squared his shoulders once again. "Okay, let's find that letter." He walked into the study, grateful that this was one room with little damage and no blood.

The first thing he did was open the drawer that held the marriage certificate. Gibbs started to say something, but Tony shook his head. He carefully took everything out of the drawer before removing the drawer from the desk. It took a few tries to get the false bottom hooked with his fingernail, but eventually he got it. Certificate in hand, Tony stared at it, noting the date.

"Tony?"

He was surprised that Gibbs had held out for that long. "According to this, our anniversary is in two months. He really took good care of me – and of Eva. Now it's my turn to take care of him."

Gibbs was right next to him so Tony handed him back the false bottom before laying the certificate on the desk.

"Tony?"

Of course Gibbs would wonder why Tony was keeping it out. "Same reason he made it in the first place."

"His father won't be able to touch him. Not under these circumstances, not as long as he's a suspect."

Tony knew all of that, but it just wasn't good enough, not to protect his family.

Between them, they emptied and checked each of the drawers, but they didn't find the letter. Tony's gut told him it would not be in a public part of the house, no matter how well it was hidden, so when they came up empty, he headed into McGee's bedroom.

One of the last rooms to be decorated, it was elegant and comfortable – as long as you ignored the broken windows and the shattered door out to the back porch. Forcing that away, Tony looked around, slowly turning in a circle. "He'd keep it close, but not too close. Not in something he used on a regular basis."

Tony ignored the nightstands and the table across from the bed, even though it had a small drawer the right size. He couldn't imagine Tim looking at the spot it was hidden, first thing every morning. That determined, he expanded his search. There were a couple of chairs in front of the fireplace, with a table in between them. Tony knew that Tim often sat there with his morning coffee, or with a glass of wine in the evenings. That table was ignored for a moment, but there was another table against the wall.

It was some sort of family heirloom, that much Tony knew, but McGee had never seemed that thrilled with it. Thus it sat, almost forgotten, behind the chairs and around the corner from the bed. The drawer in the front was tiny, almost hidden in the intricate carving. It didn't open easily, but eventually Tony got it open. There was some stationary in the drawer, Tim and Sam's initials beautifully interwoven and embossed. The one physical reminder of the couple's short life together read like a clue to Tony and he quickly removed the papers, carefully laying them off to the side.

"You got something?"

"Maybe."

If this drawer had a false bottom it hadn't been removed since it was built, so it was a tight fit. After several attempts to lift it with his fingernail, Tony pulled the drawer completely out and turned it upside down. A few good shakes separated the false bottom. Gibbs reached out and caught it, along with the single sheet of paper that fluttered out behind it.

Cluttered, tiny printing covered both sides of the page. Gibbs briefly glanced at it before slipping it into an evidence bag. When he didn't hand it over, Tony tried to object. "Gibbs..."

"Concentrate on what he needs from you right now. He'll tell you more about when he's ready."

Tony opened his mouth to argue. He wanted to know, he wanted to crush the Admiral, and then he remembered Tim's expression when he told them what little he could verbalize that day, sitting in the living room. Too much had been taken away from Tim, he couldn't take this. "Yeah, okay."

Gibbs gave a sad nod and Tony realized that the older man was torn. Someone needed to handle this and it needed to be someone Tim trusted, but a large part of Gibbs was jealous of Tony's chance to just be family to the man they both cared deeply about. Tony reached out and touched Gibbs' arm. "He'll understand that you need to do this."

"And he'll be grateful that you didn't."

-NCIS-

This time Tony was behind the wheel as Gibbs read the letter. Gibbs didn't say anything, but Tony could see the side of his jaw twitching. Mentally he prepared to change directions. "Yard?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Hospital. Drop you off and then I'll go to the Yard."

Getting turned down a second time only told Tony how bad it was. "I'll find out eventually."

"For now, focus on your family. Let me take care of this."

There was nothing else he could say and a few minutes later Tony pulled the car up at the hospital's main entrance. Throwing it in park, he climbed out and watched as Gibbs scooted over. Before he could walk away, Gibbs grabbed his arm. "If anything happens, you call me."

He hated seeing fear in those usually strong features, but he understood. "You too."

-NCIS-

Behind Tony, Gibbs could see Penny standing there. She signaled for him to go around the corner and he nodded to her as he answered Tony. "You too." Penny was already on the move and Tony didn't see her as he turned to go inside. Gibbs had his phone out and hit the speed dial for Vance, hoping to get that conversation done before he had to deal with McGee's grandmother.

He started speaking as soon as Vance picked up. "I've got the letter. Might be a good idea to bring the SecNav in on this."

 _It's that bad?_

"Oh, yeah."

 _All right, give me a couple of hours to get it set up._

Phone call complete, Gibbs pulled up to the curb to wait for Penny.

"Did you find it?"

Once she was buckled in, he nodded and pulled into traffic. He was suspicious as to what she wanted, but he'd wait.

"Let me see it."

That didn't take long. "Penny..."

"My grandson is in there, fighting for his life. If his father had any part of this..." Tearing up, she pressed her lips together as she fought for control. Gibbs couldn't imagine being in her position. "I need to know exactly what my son is capable of, Jethro."

He didn't like it, but he understood it. She could also be a powerful ally if things got bad. They were at a light so he turned the corner and found a coffee shop. Parking in the far corner, he shut down the engine before he handed her the sealed clear plastic envelope. "Leave it in there."

"Are you expecting to find physical evidence after all this time?"

Gibbs gave a shrug. "You never know until you test it. A fingerprint would be pretty handy."

The printing on the bag made it hard to read everything, but judging from her intent expression and pained sounds, she managed to read most of it. "This man was destroyed by John."

"Yeah." Gibbs hadn't given much thought to the suffering of the man that had raped Tim.

"How many others?"

The investigator in Gibbs knew that was a valid question, but right now he couldn't bring himself to care. "I don't know."

"I need to know." There was something in her voice, but Gibbs couldn't quite put his fingers on it.

"Investigating that could get ugly."

"My son arranged for the rape of my grandson and probably helped arrange for him to be gunned down. He's also one hundred percent responsible for this man's death. How much uglier could it get?"

"You don't want to know. Do you remember Tim's dog, Gizmo?" Gibbs folded the envelope carefully and put it back in his inner coat pocket as he asked. She nodded, obviously not knowing where this was headed. "What do you think happened to him?"

The second question seemed to surprise her, but she answered. "He was hit by a car and killed. Tim was devastated."

"Nope. The school screwed up his report card, sent one with a B on it instead of straight A's, so John shot the dog and made Tim bury it as punishment."

Penny was staring at him in horror. He hated to do that, but the point had to be made. Finally she closed her eyes and shook her head. "I never knew, I never dreamed that it was that bad between them."

There was no doubt of that in his mind. John's mother or not, he couldn't see Penny putting up with that from anyone. "How about some coffee and then I'll drop you back off at the hospital?" Not waiting for an answer, Gibbs hopped out of the car as Penny wiped her eyes. Crying women had never been his strong suit. Any of the ex-wives could attest to that.

-NCIS-

Tony smiled as he walked back into Eva's room. She'd been given breakfast while he was gone, judging from the messy tray, and now Ellie was rocking her back to sleep while Abby sang to her. Ellie turned toward him and he gratefully took his daughter and held her close.

There was something very peaceful about rocking your child to sleep and for a moment Tony reveled in it. Eventually Eva fell asleep and he carefully laid her down in the crib and covered her up, resting his hand on her head and watching her breathe. Abby's voice was so quiet that he almost didn't hear her at first.

"Ducky was here a little bit ago. McGee's still holding on."

"Good, that's real good." Tony turned and looked at her for a moment, then glanced over at Ellie. "We'll be back in a few minutes."

When Ellie nodded, Tony and Abby slipped out of the room. Before they got to the elevator, Tony pulled Abby off to the side.

"Tony?"

In truth he wasn't quite sure how to say what he needed to say. "I know you and Tim have a history together."

She stared at him. Finally, she smiled just a bit and kissed him on the cheek. "Hurt him and you'll answer to me."

"Wait, you know?"

"You figured out that you're in love with him, haven't you?"

He'd never said the words, not even to himself. It was both frightening and freeing to hear them being said out loud. "Yeah, yeah, I have."

"You'd be a fool not to love him, and I'd be blind to not know that he loves you. No more wasting time, okay?"

It sounded so simple the way she said it and Tony smiled for the first time since they'd gotten the news. "Yeah, okay."

-NCIS-

Vance got to the end of the letter, then turned it back over and started reading it again, the SecNav reading along over his shoulder. Nothing had been said yet, but their anger was a physical force in the room. Secretary Porter was shaking when she straightened up. "Find me a way to charge him for this, or at least strip him of his rank."

"We'll try," Vance glanced up at Gibbs and he saw sadness behind the anger. "Agent McGee was right though, the statute of limitations has already expired. At least it gives us a history of known violence against his son and that gives us probable cause to actually arrest him instead of trying to tactfully question him."

Porter glanced down at her watch, then turned to Gibbs. "Admiral McGee has a meeting with me and several other high ranking officers at the Pentagon in two hours. I want you to arrest him at that meeting. I want you to handcuff him and walk him out in the most visible way possible, is that understood?"

If anyone understood that completely, it would be Gibbs. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good." She turned on her heel and left without another word.

Vance didn't speak until they were alone and his door had stopped vibrating. Then he gave Gibbs a careful look as he pointed out the date on the letter. "He was already an agent when he received this confession."

"I know." That was something that was going to haunt Gibbs for a long time. He turned to leave when he noticed Vance getting up and retrieving a weapon from his desk drawer. "You're going with me?"

"Yep."

"You going there to make me behave?"

"Nope."

-NCIS-

Abby had returned to Eva's room and Tony continued on to the ICU. Ducky was in the waiting area with a cup of tea so Tony joined him. "Is there any improvement yet?"

"He's still alive, Tony. Under the circumstances, that is a miracle in and of itself."

Tony didn't like to think about that. "Is he awake yet?"

"No, the doctors plan to keep him sedated for a bit longer. If he were conscious right now, I'm afraid that Timothy would be in a great deal of pain and in his weakened condition..."

Tony really didn't want to think about that. "Yeah, okay. I just – God, I just want a time machine. I want this to have never happened." Tony was staring up at the ceiling but a touch on his arm brought his attention back down as Ducky spoke.

"That, I'm afraid, is something that I do not have. Perhaps concentrating on the future instead will help. Eva is going to be fine and we will get Timothy thought this. Think of this as a wake up call and a second chance."

After his talk with Abby, Tony caught what Ducky was trying to tell him immediately. In an apparent confirmation, Ducky smiled at him. "It will do this old heart good to see the two of you find happiness. You've danced around each other long enough."

They had and Tony finally voiced his fears. "He's my best friend and the best thing that's ever happened to me – he and Eva. I don't want to mess this up."

"You will."

Tony stared at him in horror. "What?"

Ducky didn't bat an eye as he continued. "So will Timothy. It's the nature of life, but you will forgive each other and work through your problems because your love is stronger than the mistakes and the fear. All you have to do, in the immortal words my assistant has been humming for months, is let it go."

When Ducky said it, it sounded so easy. "Is it really that simple, Ducky?"

A warm hand pressed against his back as Ducky spoke. "You are surrounded by people that love the two of you and will not let you fail."

Tony wanted to believe it, he really did, but when he looked at the doors to the ICU, he couldn't shake the fear. "If he survives."

That got a little sharper response. "Then give him something to live for, Tony. Make sure he knows how you feel about him. That his job here is not done."

Something in Ducky's voice made Tony turn around and give him a careful look. "Ducky?"

"He's loved you for a long time, Tony. When you were in the hospital, in a coma, when no one knew if you would ever come out of it – he never said the words, at least not to any of us, but we all could see how deeply he loves you. How he bottled it up, hid it away, when you regained consciousness because he thought that would make you happy. Then little Eva came into your life and Timothy loves her like she was his own. Even then, if you had ever made the choice to settle down with a woman..."

This was similar to a conversation he'd had with Gibbs once. "He'd have stepped back and let me have the life I thought I wanted, no matter how much it hurt him. He'd do it because he loves me that much."

Ducky gave him a serious look. "Yes, he would. Now, what are you going to do about it?"

-NCIS-

Gibbs and Vance didn't say much as they arrived at the Pentagon. A fresh faced ensign signed them in, recording their badge numbers on the log sheet. "And who are you here to see today?"

"Admiral McGee."

"Yes, Sir. Is he expecting you?" The ensign reached for the phone and Vance laid his hand over it to stop him.

"No, but the SecNav is expecting us and would prefer no phone call. We know the way."

As soon as the ensign nodded, Gibbs was on the move. Vance caught up with him at the elevator. "Remember, we can't embarrass him if you shoot him on sight."

Gibbs shrugged at that. He could always shoot the man later.

Several heads looked up when they walked in, but the SecNav was the only one to nod at them. Before they could say anything she turned to one of the other officers. "You will be taking over this assignment from Admiral McGee."

The Admiral was definitely surprised. "Excuse me?" Gibbs stepped forward and grabbed McGee's arm, snapping the cuffs on him as the Admiral continued to object. "What is this? What is going on?"

"Admiral John McGee, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent."

"What is the meaning of this? How dare you accuse me? What are the charges?"

Vance gave him a hard look. "Two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for a start."

The cuffed man stilled, a strange look on his face before the mask was back in place. "Murder? Who?"

Gibbs tightened the cuffs even more as he and Vance both fell silent while Secretary Porter came up to Admiral McGee, glaring at him. "There are no words to express my level of disappointment in your conduct, Admiral McGee. You are a disgrace to the uniform." She turned to Gibbs. "Get this monster out of my sight."

"Yes, Ma'am." Gibbs had a tight grip on his suspect, using a nerve point to keep him under control.

Ignoring the elevators and the shortcuts, they took the Admiral out the longest way possible, Vance loudly reciting the Admiral's Article 31 rights along the way. By the time they reached the main entrance there was quite a crowd milling around and so Vance repeated himself just to make sure.

-NCIS-

Every other visit had been with someone, but this time Tony was alone when he sat down next to Tim's hospital bed. He reached out and tenderly touched Tim's face, avoiding the vent that was currently breathing for him. "We've got a whole lifetime ahead of us, Tim. You need to stay with us. Just imagine Eva's first day of school, we're going to be so proud to watch her get on that bus for the first time, then we're going to follow it to make sure she gets to school all right.

"I'm gonna borrow Gibbs' shotgun to clean when she goes out on her first date and you're going to run background checks on the kid and every relative he has – or she." Tony laughed softly at that. "Guess as the gay parents, we're going to have to walk that fine line between accepting and terrifying anyone she brings home. But someday she's going to get married and we're going to walk her down the aisle. Our beautiful little girl, with a dad on each arm – that's the image I want you to hold onto, Tim, until you're strong enough to hold onto us again."

Leaning even closer, he kissed Tim's face. "I love you."

-NCIS-

"Any more suspects and we're going to start running out of interrogation rooms." Gibbs just glared at him and Vance sighed. Apparently it was way too soon for any attempts at lightening the mood. "Okay, who do you want to start with? I assume you want the Admiral to sweat it out for a while. Senior's been stewing for quite a few hours now, his fancy lawyer left right after we did. Ziva's been sitting in Interrogation Room One since she arrived from the courthouse. The surviving shooter won't be able to be interviewed until probably late tomorrow or the next day at the earliest."

Gibbs didn't say anything, just walked into the observation room for Interrogation Room Two, so Vance followed him in and they both watched through the two-way mirror.

They were looking at either a fine actor or a broken man, Vance wasn't totally sure which. He'd abandoned any attempt to look like the successful businessman he claimed to be, with his jacket tossed to the side and his tie loose, his hair messed from continually running his hands through it. Vance turned to the agent assigned to watch him. "Well?"

"He fired his lawyer, been spiraling downward ever since."

If there ever was a time to get the truth out of the man, now was the time and Gibbs was already moving so Vance returned to the glass to watch the show.

-NCIS-

Anyone that knew him knew that Jethro Gibbs could be surprisingly gentle when it was needed. Dealing with his shattered family today it had been needed but the desire to lay waste on those that had hurt them had been building since they'd first gotten word of the shooting and Anthony DiNozzo, Senior was a good place to start. He stormed into the room, kicked the empty chair out of the way and slammed his hands down hard on the table.

Senior jumped, then slowly looked up, his eyes red. "How is Eva? No one will tell me anything."

Gibbs wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of an answer. At least not yet. "Tell me how this was supposed to go down."

The voice was muffled as Senior buried his head in his hands, but Gibbs could still hear him. "I just wanted Tony and Eva to move back to New York so the family could be together. Ziva was perfect for him, they had a child together. They should have been together."

"So you decided to get McGee out of the way?"

"No, not the way you're thinking. I wasn't trying to hurt him, I just wanted Junior away from him. He'd see Ziva and..."

"Fall back in love and live happily ever after?"

That finally got a reaction out of Senior as he slammed his fists against the table top. "Yes! What is wrong with a man wanting his family whole and together? Eva deserved to have both her mother and her father."

"By her mother, I assume you mean the woman that gave birth to her, then walked away." Gibbs watched him carefully. "So, what were you willing to do to make it worth her while to stick around this time?"

Yep, the eye twitched and Gibbs knew he had him. "Got a pretty good business deal with your new in-laws now, don't you?" It was all Gibbs could do not to smirk when Senior's head snapped up in shock, so he kept pushing. "Multi-million dollar deal, but you needed someone to make things run smooth with State and someone with contacts in the Middle East. You needed both of them to make it work."

For once, Senior didn't deny it. "Isn't it every father's dream, to work alongside his son in the family business?

Gibbs went quiet. He hitched his hip up on the corner of the table and crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down at Senior. Finally he spoke, his voice low and dangerous. "The one thing I haven't figured out yet is when you were going to let Tony in on this grand scheme of yours. Before or after he flew back to Israel with Ziva and the baby?"

"No, Ziva knew that when she got back together with Tony, they'd be coming back to New York."

"Too bad she had her own playbook."

Senior seemed to shrink in on himself as he raked his fingers through his hair again and Gibbs made it almost to the door before he said anything. "Please tell me about Eva. Is she going to be all right? What about McGee? Nobody was supposed to get hurt, I swear."

Gibbs made it back to the table in two steps and tossed a notepad at Senior. "Write it all down first. Every detail, every contact, every name. I want a timeline of everything you did, every person you talked to."

Vance was waiting for him out in the hallway. "I'm beginning to think that man's a professional patsy." Still furious, Gibbs just gave a grunt, so Vance continued. "Who's next?"

"David."

* * *

a/n - thanks, all. We're in a holding pattern here, but as soon as some decisions are made both here and in Germany, I'll let you know.


	34. Chapter 34

Ziva knew the game, she had played it often enough during her years here at the Agency, and before that at Mossad, but something about the timing here was off. Sighing, she tilted her head from side to side to stretch the tight muscles as she continued to wait.

It had been a rookie mistake to gloat to Tony, that momentary satisfaction had not been worth the disruption of her plan. Now she did not know if Kamaal's men were still hidden away with the baby or if they had already left the country with her, but without Ziva. She would not be able to make contact with Kamaal until she was out of custody and able to shake the watchers Gibbs would assign to her. Damn his and Tony's interference, if it was not for them, she would be back with Kamaal, tightening the noose that would destroy him. Of course, if he had a few days to play daddy, it might make him even easier to break.

All she had to do was to play the game for a little while longer. The only thing they could possibly have her on would be a charge of custodial interference and that would be shaky because she was in court with them at the time of the kidnapping.

Lost in thought, she jumped when the door banged open. She thought she'd covered it up well, but the look on Gibbs' face told her otherwise. Damn, she would have to be more careful.

"Hello, Gibbs."

He gave her the look, the one she'd seen on his face countless times, when he had a 'scumbag' dead to rights. He leaned close, almost slamming his forehead against hers as he sat down and Ziva went on the offensive. "You would have done the same thing if someone was keeping you from Kelly."

His face turned even harder and she instantly knew it had been the wrong thing to say. "I would have never walked away from Kelly in the first place."

"Since when?" She was on thin ice, but the words tumbled out. "You were a soldier, you did your duty, you went where they sent you."

"You walked away from that life years ago, Ziva. You were scared. Instead of a little living doll to dress up, you had a critically sick infant that needed round the clock care and you panicked." He opened up the folder in his hand and started laying out pages. "You didn't officially rejoin Mossad until months after Eva was born."

The first page was a screenshot from Mossad's internal server. The other three were more of the same. "I see McGee has been doing his homework."

"You really think he was just going to lay down while you tried to destroy his family?"

Ziva gave a snort and leaned forward to match Gibbs. "Tony and the baby are not his family."

Gibbs settled back in his chair, a smirk on his face. "Oh, yeah, they are."

She hated that smirk, the one that always said he knew more than he was letting on. "I am her mother."

"Every adopted kid out there has a birth mother out there someplace. That doesn't take away from the family that loves her, that raised her. Abby can tell you that." Gibbs leaned forward again, this time encroaching into her personal space even more. "What I don't get is how you get from wanting your baby back to wanting her dead if you don't get your own way."

The air had been sucked out of the room. That was the only explanation. "What?"

Instead of answering her, Gibbs stood, kicking his chair out of the way. "Mothers that kill their children don't do particularly well in prison." He picked up the folder, deliberately dropping several photos in the process and Ziva was staring at a blood splattered nursery.

He walked out, but Ziva was too busy staring at the pictures to pay any attention. It was the close-up of a bullet hole through an obviously well-loved stuffed bunny that made her heart clench. This had to be fake. Kamaal was a monster, but he wanted a child to claim for his own. If this was real, then he'd been playing her the entire time. "Gibbs? Gibbs, answer me!"

There was no response and she gave into her frustrations, picking up a chair and swinging it at the two-way mirror. Instead of Gibbs, two agents she didn't recognize rushed in and grabbed her. She kicked and screamed, the training that should have been instinct fleeing her at that moment as they forced her back down and handcuffed her to the table.

-NCIS-

Vance leaned back as the chair hit the mirror, but the glass held. Convinced they weren't going to have a raging ex-Mossad agent attacking them at the moment, he turned to Gibbs as he entered. "If she wasn't totally in control of the situation, then who was?"

"Damned good question. Doesn't let her off the hook, though. She's the one that set all this into motion, even if it got away from her."

He had to agree with Gibbs' assessment, but it brought another problem to light. Instead of just a few shooters scattered to avoid arrest, there was a mastermind out there someplace with an agenda they didn't fully understand. "We need extra security at the hospital until this is over. I'll need to bring in more agents."

Gibbs phone apparently vibrated and he barely looked at the caller ID before answering it. "I was just about to call you."

-NCIS-

His ten minutes with Tim up, Tony arrived back at Eva's room, only to find just Ellie with his little girl. "Where's Abby? Did she have to go back to the Yard?"

Before Ellie could answer, the door opened back up and Abby arrived with bags of food. "I know we can't stop you from running yourself ragged, but you've got to eat and keep up your strength, Tony."

Food was the last thing on his mind, but he knew Abby was right so he didn't argue when Abby started setting out the burgers and fries. He also didn't miss the look Ellie gave Abby before the Goth made some sort of excuse and announced that she was going to sit up in the ICU waiting room and keep Penny company. After that, he knew the question was coming and Ellie didn't waste any time.

"What's happening with the case?"

He couldn't quite stop the bitter laugh. "Well, my father is in custody and the Admiral is in custody. We've got quite a family reunion going on aboard the Yard."

"There's more going on, isn't there?"

Oh, she didn't know the half of it. "Isn't there always?"

"Tony, tell me."

She'd be a great asset, he knew that, but she couldn't help unless he told her almost everything they had, things that weren't his place to tell. She was smart, though and was already piecing things together.

"Are all the players accounted for?"

That one was easy. "Nope."

"Do we have all the pieces put together?"

That one almost made him laugh. "Oh, hell, no."

"With Tim out of commission, I'm your puzzle person, Tony. Let me help."

She was right. If there was ever a time for Bishop's ability to pull random data together and make it into something tangible, this was it and she could do it without all the graphic details of Tim's rape, only the basics. Even with that, Tony was glad Abby had understood enough to leave the room. "Okay, but this goes no further than the two of us, Gibbs and Vance." Taking a deep breath, he started at the beginning and told her everything they had so far.

-NCIS-

Recently appointed Assistant Director Fornell didn't get out of his office and into the field very often anymore, but this was too important to send anyone else. After all, it was this man and his team that had propelled him into his new position. Arriving at the coffee cart that had been the setting for many inter-agency discussions over the years, he took in Gibbs' tired appearance. "How's McGee doing and what can we do to help?"

"You know what happened?"

Now he knew Jethro had to be running on fumes. "An armed assault on the home of a federal agent? Everybody in the alphabet knows about it. What we don't know is who or why. McGee's a good kid, Gibbs. What the hell happened?"

Even the Gibbs' style short version took almost twenty minutes and left Fornell reeling. This was all levels of screwed up. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Tobias prepared for the worst. "Well, shit. Is this going to turn into an international incident?"

Gibbs didn't say anything, which told him everything. "Okay, how can we help?"

-NCIS-

Returning to the Yard, Gibbs felt a little better about security at the hospital, leaving he and Vance to concentrate on the case. Senior had broken and given them everything he knew about the events leading up to the attack, confirming Vance's assertion that the man was a professional patsy, not smart enough to pull off something of this magnitude.

Ziva was close to breaking, they'd seen the first cracks when Gibbs had let her see some of the crime scene photos. They'd give her a little more time before they pressed again. That left the Admiral.

Still devising a plan, Gibbs walked into the observation room to find Vance already there. Through the glass they could see John McGee, his hands now cuffed in front, sitting ramrod straight in a chair. He was pretty much in the exact same position as he'd been when Gibbs and Vance first shoved him into the small room.

"He move at all?"

The agent assigned to watch him shook her head. "Man makes a great impression of a statue."

Beside Gibbs, Vance shook his own head. "What I don't understand is how a man like him could father a man like Tim. This is one case where blood is not thicker than water."

Gibbs couldn't argue with that. Instead, he just grunted and turned to leave the room. As he opened the door, Ellie Bishop was flying down the hall, her hair streaming behind her. "Have you interrogated the Admiral yet?"

"No, what are you doing here?"

She was breathless, panting as she explained. "Tony sent me and I have an idea. I just need a little time."

Gibbs thought about it for a moment. He really wanted the Admiral to start showing some discomfort before he started the interrogation. "Okay."

-NCIS-

A soft knock at the door drew Tony's attention away from Eva as the doctor checked her over. She'd started running a slight fever and they were concerned. It might be from teething, but Ducky had warned him that Eva was at a higher risk for infection, one of the lingering effects of arriving before her due date. He expected more medical personnel, but it was Fornell standing at the door.

"DiNozzo, how's Eva doing?"

He gave a non-committal shrug. "She's got a fever. They're not sure why, yet." Tony looked behind Fornell and saw a group of suits, more than what would normally accompany an assistant director. "What's going on?"

"The FBI is assisting NCIS with protection for both your daughter and McGee. Two agents here and two agents stationed in intensive care."

Tony wasn't sure what to think about this. On one hand, the more guards, the safer his loved ones would be. On the other hand, the last time he'd trusted FBI agents, he'd ended up with a bullet wound in his head. Fornell seemed to understand his reluctance.

"I handpicked them myself, Tony. These are the men I would choose to protect my own family."

"Okay."

-NCIS-

"Umm, Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs looked up, taking a minute to place the speaker. Finally he remembered the man, a technician that worked the cameras down in interrogation. "Yeah, Reed, what is it?"

"A few minutes ago, Miss David finally asked for her phone call."

That got Gibbs back up on his feet. "Who'd she call?"

"Nobody. She didn't get an answer and started screaming and cursing in Hebrew. I had the number checked and it's a satellite phone that's been disconnected."

"Her contact at Mossad?"

Bishop might be right. "Or her partner in this."

"They could be one in the same."

"Let's go find out. Come on, Bishop." Gibbs nodded at the man that had brought him the news. "Thanks, Reed."

"Hope it helps, Sir."

Gibbs didn't even bother to correct him.

-NCIS-

Outside the interrogation room, Ellie stopped Gibbs for a moment. "Are you sure I should be in there with you? She might tell you more if you're alone."

He'd considered it for the briefest of seconds, but Ziva was smart enough to know that someone else was always listening and he wanted to see how she'd react to her replacement. "Nah, it's time the two of you met for real."

Stepping inside, he watched carefully as Ziva finally looked up at them and eventually recognized Ellie. "You were there that night, at the restaurant."

"Ziva David, meet your replacement, Eleanor Bishop."

Bishop probably felt weird being formally introduced like that, but she went with what Gibbs was setting up. "You left me some pretty big shoes to fill."

Ziva shook her head as all the anger and arrogance faded away. "Not so big."

Now they might get somewhere. "You finally called your lifeline. Too bad they'd already cut it on you."

She flinched, but remained silent so Gibbs kept going. "Guess you're going to go down for this all by yourself."

Still nothing, but Bishop leaned forward. "Who was your mark, Ziva? Kamaal Malik?"

That finally got a reaction and Ziva's head jerked up. She stared at Bishop before finally shaking her head. "He wanted a child, he would not hurt her."

"And you just happened to have one that you left behind along the way, right Ziver?"

Ziva closed her eyes at Gibbs' harsh words. "He wanted a child. She and I could get close to him, but I would have protected her."

Gibbs knew he recognized the name from the many terrorist watch lists, but he didn't know any details. "Bishop, what do we know about this Kamaal Malik?"

She knew. Gibbs didn't know if it was just general knowledge or if she'd already uncovered part of the plot, but she knew. "He's the holder of the purse strings for most of the Hamas terror cells. Man's worth billions and he's indirectly responsible for probably thousands of deaths."

Gibbs quickly thought through everything he knew about Ziva. "He responsible for the bomb that killed Tali?"

"Yes."

"And you decided that you could take him on. All by yourself, when Mossad has been trying for years."

"Mossad hasn't been trying." Bishop looked almost excited as the puzzle pieces apparently started to fit together in her head. "Rumor has it that he's so powerful that they're afraid of the vacuum that will form if something happens to him. The power struggle could set the entire region off. Either that, or..."

He hated it when she did that. "Or what, Bishop?" A quick glance told him that Ziva didn't know what the 'or' would be either.

"Or that he secretly has connections within Mossad that they don't want exposed. He had a long standing feud with Eli David and there were suspicions that Malik was behind several attempts to oust him."

"Shit." Gibbs jumped to his feet and stared down at Ziva. "How stupid could you be? Did you really think your cover was going to hold up?"

"I didn't use a cover. I was myself, disillusioned, angry over my father's death, convinced that his own people had betrayed him. Kamaal chased me. It was perfect."

Hands on the table, Gibbs leaned so close that he forced Ziva to lean back. "It was perfect all right. It was so damned perfect that it gave him the perfect opportunity to sully Eli's name, to get you arrested as a terrorist and a murderer and to wipe out the last of the David family. Yeah, perfect all right." He wanted to do a lot more, but settled for a finger shoved in her face. "If you truly had the backing of Mossad in this crazy scheme, they'd have found you a child to claim. You ever think of that? Now you're finally going to do the right thing and you're going to give her everything you know." He pointed at Ellie and prepared to storm out. He almost made it to the door before Ziva called out.

"Gibbs, did he really have my daughter killed?"

Squeezing his hand tightly around the doorknob, Gibbs slowly turned around. "Now you care?"

"Please."

"The only reason she didn't die in that shootout was because after he'd run out of ammo, Timothy McGee physically put his body between those killers and that baby he loves so much. You think about that, Ziva. You were willing to kidnap her to use as a pawn in an unsanctioned op. He willingly laid in the bullets' path to protect her. Who's the real parent there?"

He waited outside the interrogation room while Bishop got the details out of Ziva. He could have listened in from the observation room, but hearing the details of how she'd spiraled downward from an agent he'd been proud to call part of his team to someone who would go to such extremes wasn't something he could bear to do. Guess now Tony had his answers as to why Ziva didn't take care of herself while she was pregnant and why she abandoned her child. She was already obsessed with destroying the man that had killed her sister, not realizing that she was becoming just like him.

When Bishop finally came out, she seemed surprised to find Gibbs waiting for her.

"Ready to put the puzzle together?"

"Give me twenty minutes to pull it all together."

-NCIS-

"He's finally getting restless."

"Took him long enough."

Vance had won some major points by showing up in the observation room with a fresh coffee and now they were watching John McGee as he finally started shifting around a bit. A glance down at his watch, partially obscured by the cuffs, and he glared at the mirror.

 _All right, Gibbs, when are you going to come in and face me like a man?_

"You know, he might eventually ask for a lawyer."

Gibbs thought about it and then shook his head. "He's too arrogant, thinks he's above it all. Hiding behind a lawyer isn't something he'll do until he knows he's been beaten."

Now it was Gibbs' turn to glance at his watch. Bishop's twenty minutes was just about up so he pulled out his phone. "You done?"

 _It's printing now._

-NCIS-

After a visit to the chapel, Abby found herself outside the ICU just in time for Penny to pull her inside for a visit. McGee was so still that it scared her, but she took a deep breath and started talking to fill the void.

"Back when we were dating, who would have guessed that we'd all end up here? Well, I mean, not here in the hospital, because I never would have wanted this, but you and Tony falling for each other, raising a baby together. Of course you guys didn't do it in the standard order, you and Tony really broke the mold as far as relationships go, but you're really good for each other. We can all see that.

"Course, it took Tony the longest to see what was in front of him, but now he knows and he's ready to love you. He just needs you to be all right. You have to be all right, McGee. Gibbs' orders; mine, too."

-NCIS-

"Ponytail."

"What?" Bishop gave him a blank look and Gibbs sighed.

"Put your hair up in a ponytail, lose the jacket. I want you to look as young as possible when we go in there."

She frowned, but the jacket came off and she managed to find a hairband in her pocket. Bending down, she ran her fingers through her hair before twisting the stretchy band into place. When she straightened up, the slightly messy, high ponytail made her look more like an escapee from the local school than a federal agent and Gibbs gave an approving nod.

When they walked into interrogation, the Admiral took one look at her and rolled his eyes. "What is this, Gibbs? Take your kid to work day?"

Gibbs just smirked and pulled a chair out for Bishop, telling her with one look that she was to start the interview. She gave a wide smile and a little wiggle that definitely reinforced the 'young' look Gibbs had wanted from her.

She played her part perfectly. "Wow, I've never met an admiral before. You must do really important work."

"I do, unless I'm interrupted by some idiot with a badge."

"So, you're coming up on mandatory retirement pretty soon."

"I'm not that old, young lady."

"Really? Because your finances sure look like you're getting ready to leave the Navy."

Wherever Bishop was going with this, it made the Admiral nervous and Gibbs paid close attention.

"There's nothing wrong with planning for the future."

Crossing her arms on the table and leaning forward, Bishop suddenly didn't look like a kid. "Most people plan for the future with stocks and bonds, along with a good 401k. Your investments are a little more – shall we say esoteric?"

Now Gibbs wished he'd taken a few minutes to see what she'd found and the Admiral squirmed in his chair. "My financial planning has nothing to do with NCIS."

"It does when money from a known terrorist shows up in one of your investment accounts just hours before that terrorist launches an attack on US soil."

The Admiral was back to ramrod straight, his hands tightly clasped in front of him. "I'd like a lawyer now. This interview is over."

Not batting an eye, Bishop turned to Gibbs. "I guess he's not as dumb as he looks."

"I will not be spoken to in that manner."

"Wasn't talking to you."

The Admiral looked at Gibbs, pure disdain on his face. "You must run a very lax ship, Agent Gibbs. Between her and Timothy, I can't even understand how you've kept your position."

"We get the job done. Caught you, didn't we? The way I saw it, SecNav was none too happy with you either."

That got a snort. "A woman, in that position. Explains why this country is falling apart."

"See, I kinda blame it on people like you, willing to make a deal with the devil for their own personal gain. Question is, what do you gain with your son's death? Better question, why did you want the child dead?"

"As I said, this interview is over."

Gibbs was planning on poking some more, but his phone vibrated against his hip. Checking it, he found a message from Vance, pulling them out. "Come on, Bishop, let's let the man wait for his attorney."

He kept a neutral expression on his face as they walked out, refusing to think the worst – at least until he saw Vance standing in the hall. "Tim?"

Vance held his hands up. "No change last I heard."

Gibbs waited, but the Director's next words didn't help his gut. "Let's talk in my office."

Whatever it was, not only was it bad enough to need to be said upstairs, but Vance activated the security once they arrived, not saying anything until the room was locked down tightly. "Mossad just took out Malik."

"Shit." Gibbs closed his eyes for a moment. "Guess they're cleaning house."

"Yeah. Answers the rumors about him having connections inside Mossad. If that had been proved..." Vance shook his head before he continued. "Got more bad news. Our one shooter in custody died about an hour ago, never regained consciousnesses after his surgery."

"Any chance that wasn't natural?"

"Body's on its way here for Dr. Mallard, but if anyone can kill and leave no evidence, it's Mossad."

Gibbs hated this, but he wasn't surprised. Ruthlessness didn't end with the death of Eli David. "They're cleaning house."

"What does this do to our case?"

They both turned to Ellie, who was pacing and muttering under her breath. She finally realized they were watching her and hopped up onto the conference table. Vance looked like he was going to say something about her sitting up there, but he held his tongue.

"Bishop?"

"Admiral McGee's contacts with Malik go back several years. We know something was going on between them, but not what it was. Not only that, the previous contact makes it almost impossible to prove that the latest contact was about his son and Tony."

"Great, just great." Gibbs gave Vance a hard look. "Don't tell me that man is going to walk."

"Unless we can prove what he and Malik were up to, associating with a known terrorist isn't actually a criminal offense. However, it will get him a court martial. SecNav already has it in the works."

"Not good enough."

"If you've got any suggestions, let's hear them."

He didn't. Deliberate or not, the strike on Malik, along with the death of their only captured, surviving shooter had cut the investigation off at the knees. However, deciding how to proceed wasn't entirely up to him. Dreading the call, Gibbs pulled out his phone. "DiNozzo, need you to come down to the Yard. Got some decisions to make."

* * *

 **a/n - Sorry, I missed yesterday. Had to leave early for work. Getting this up now before I leave to celebrate my birthday - having breakfast with my parents, then buying a bed for when my son comes home**.


	35. Chapter 35

"There's got to be something." Starting at the beginning of the files again, Tony struggled to find a missing clue. Gibbs finally laid his hand over Tony, stopping the frantic turning of the pages. Tony sagged, dropping his head down until it was resting on the back of Gibbs' hand. "Damn it. This one time, why in the hell couldn't Mossad stay out of it?"

"Whatever Malik knew about them was too important to let get out."

Tony straightened up to look him in the eye. "Are we sure they're not lying to us?"

It was a real possibility, but Gibbs had demanded proof. Several images had arrived less than an hour ago. The FBI lab said they weren't doctored, so there was one more step in proving it. "Ziva is the only one on our side that can visually ID him. We're having her brought back in."

"She really thought she was just kidnapping Eva?"

"Looks that way. Bishop figures that Malik was onto Ziva the entire time. Holding Eva or killing Eva, either way he could control or destroy Ziva and get his final revenge on Eli."

"God, what a twisted mess."

That was the understatement of the century, Gibbs was sure of that. "You're Eva's father and the closest to McGee's spouse as we can get. The final decision is yours, Tony."

"Can I have some time to think about it?"

Gibbs had something to do first, anyway. "Sure."

-NCIS-

Seeing Ziva in orange coveralls was disconcerting but all Gibbs had to do was to remember what she'd set into motion. "Need you to look at something for us." He turned toward the two way mirror and nodded. A few seconds later the TV up in the corner turned on, showing a palatial home in the desert.

"Is that Malik's home?"

"One of them, it is his most private home. Where did you get this from?"

Gibbs didn't say anything as they watched several missiles rain down, laying waste to the estate. Ziva jumped slightly at the resulting explosion, but she didn't say anything at first. He waited and eventually she looked at him.

"He may not have been there."

A folder was placed on the table, but Gibbs didn't open it yet. "Got pictures of the bodies they pulled out."

Eventually, slowly, Ziva reached out and took the folder. Opening it, she spread the photos out. Several showed just piles of burnt and mangled flesh, but three had bodies intact enough to see the features. The first one was a woman, judging from the clothing. "This was Hala, his housekeeper."

The second one showed a younger man, his legs blown off at mid-thigh. "His driver, I never knew his name."

"Didn't associate with the hired help much?"

She didn't respond to the dig, instead she was staring at the picture of the third body. Gibbs studied her reaction for a moment, then pushed. "Is that him?"

"Yes." She continued to stare, shaking her head. "All these years, I have wished and prayed for him to be dead, and now I feel nothing. Nothing."

-NCIS-

There was no easy answer, but watching from the observation room, Tony made his decision. A quick phone call up to legal and what he needed would be ready for him in fifteen minutes. It was enough time to call Abby and check on his family.

The phone rang three times and Tony could imagine the ring tone. Finally she picked up.

 _Hey, Tony, guess what?_

She sounded perky, but not ecstatic. McGee couldn't be conscious yet, then. "What?"

 _Eva bit the doctor with her brand new tooth._

It took a second for the impact of that statement to make sense. "She was cutting a tooth? Does that mean her fever..."

 _Totally gone. With no other sign of infection, you should get to take her home tomorrow morning._

He sagged, dropping heavily into a chair. "Thanks, Abs."

 _Don't thank me. Eva did all the work._

"You know what I mean. How's... is there any change with Tim?"

 _Ducky said his vitals were a little stronger._

Tony felt the air whoosh out of his lungs. It wasn't Earth-shattering, but it was finally a step in the right direction. "Thank God."

 _I know._

Ending the call, Tony went to get the papers from Legal.

-NCIS-

Gibbs gave him a nod, but didn't offer to go in with him. Tony was fine with that, this was something that needed to happen between he and Ziva. She didn't look up when he entered interrogation, not even when he sat down across from her.

"You gave up your US citizenship when you rejoined Mossad." A nod, but at least she was listening. "Of course, now that you've been caught, they've disavowed any knowledge of what you were doing."

If that surprised her, she didn't show it, but he suspected that she knew it was coming. The international fallout would be too great if their agency had been implicated in any way in using the child of an American to trap a ruthless terrorist.

"Malik is dead, he can't be charged. That leaves you." Rubbing his mouth, Tony studied Ziva, her posture, her refusal to look up. He'd always known she had secrets, but he'd never dreamed that her guilt and anger over Tali's death was so overwhelming. "How did it get so out of control, Ziva?"

"I do not know."

Words, but not an answer. Still, it was a start. He decided to change his approach. "Tim's a good man, the best. He was your friend, Ziva. He didn't deserve to be gunned down like an animal. They shot him in the back, you know. After he'd run out of bullets he put himself between those shooters and Eva, so the bullets would hit him before they got to her. He did everything humanly possible to protect her. In fact, the one that hit her went through him first."

Still silent and staring down at the table, Ziva curled in on herself but Tony saw a tear land on the metal surface so he continued.

"Someday Eva is going to wonder why she has a scar on her leg. How do I explain that her own birth mother had her shot?" More tears landed on the tabletop and Ziva's shoulders started to shake. Tony forced himself to continue, keeping his voice even and low. "How do I tell her that the reason Papa limps and has trouble breathing is because he was protecting her?"

That finally got a reaction and her head snapped up. "Papa?"

Finally able to look her in the eye, Tony nodded. "Yeah. Tim was the one that told me I was a dad. He was the one that kept my head on straight when I started to panic. He was there the first time I held her. Every step of the way, every doctor's appointment, every sleepless night he's been there for me and Eva. Along the way, we've become a family and I love him."

"You're not gay, Tony."

"No, I guess I'm Bi. Tim is, he had a husband that was killed when the Towers were hit. You didn't know that, did you?" She shook her head and he kept going, finally opening the folder he'd brought with him. "And with any luck, when I ask him, he's going to say yes. I hope someday you'll be happy for us and for the life we're going to give Eva. At least that someday you'll accept us."

Tony waited until she finally looked up at him again. "You know that we've got enough to convict you as a terrorist. With Malik dead, there's no way to prove that it wasn't you calling the shots. Mossad's hung you out to dry to save their own skins." She didn't say anything, but he could see the answer in her eyes.

He took a deep breath as he paused, making his final decision. "Someday, when Eva asks where you are and why you're not a part of her life, I'd really rather tell her that you were misguided instead of telling her that you were an international terrorist." Tony slid the paper over in front of her. "It's a onetime offer, Ziva. Plead guilty to attempted kidnapping and attempted murder and the terrorism charges get taken off the table. Twenty-five year minimum sentence, but it's better than the option."

She stared at the page for a long time before she picked up the pen and signed the plea deal. Tony watched her and finally had to ask. "That last day in Israel, before you put me on that plane, you said that you had to start over – that you had to let go of everything or you would be pulled back to where you started. What happened? How did you get from wanting a totally fresh start to this?"

"I saw him. On my way back from the airport, I saw Kamaal and it all came rushing back, the smell of the blast, finding my sister's body. By the time I accepted that I was pregnant, having my revenge had taken over everything else."

"Eva was never real to you, was she? That was how you were able to walk away so easily."

"In Mossad, we learned to lock our feelings away. What you would call checking your humanity at the dock."

"Door."

"Yes, door. It was the best way to not let the war destroy us."

"That's not living, Ziva."

"I know."

Tony couldn't be a hundred percent sure, but she seemed remorseful. "Was there ever a moment when you questioned what you were doing?"

She didn't have to think about it, which surprised him. "The day of the visitation. I saw how good you were with her and I could not help but think what it would have been like if I had gotten on that plane with you. If we still could have a chance even then."

"Why didn't you stop this then? We could have helped you."

"Because deep down I already knew I was past saving, Tony."

Anything he could have said about that dried up in his throat. "I'm sorry, Ziva."

"As am I, Tony."

Done, Tony placed the signed document back in the folder and stood to leave. Ziva reached out and grabbed his hand. "Do one thing for me, Tony."

His heart had almost leaped out of his chest at the sudden contact, but she wasn't attacking and he was proud of how calm his voice still sounded. "What?"

"Let her dance."

To anyone else, it might have been an odd comment, especially about a child that might never walk, but Tony understood what she was saying. "Tim and I will give her the best life possible, Ziva, and she'll never look out into an audience and see an empty chair. I give you my word."

* * *

 **a/n - Short chapter, but it needed to stand alone. Heading out the door to work the food truck grill. You ever see the animated movies _Box Trolls_ or _Coraline_? We're cooking for that studio today. Kinda cool, right? It's a nice break from the stress of the last couple of weeks. Also nice were the wonderful birthday wishes. Thank you, all.**


	36. Chapter 36

"Okay, Baby Girl, you ready to go home?" Tony carefully dressed Eva, working the clothing around the bulky bandage still on her leg. "Of course, it won't be home, home – not yet – but we're going to spend the nights at Grandpa's house and during the day you're going to be with Director Vance's nanny and his kids. You remember them, right? Grandpa and I are going to take you over there as soon as Grandpa Ducky brings in your papers."

Timing it perfectly, Ducky appeared at the door. "The papers are done, but we will need to wait a bit for her medications. I'm afraid the pharmacy is a bit backed up at the moment." Tony was disappointed, but Ducky was smiling as he continued. "Now, it appears that Timothy is showing signs of waking up, so why don't you pop over there while I stay with our little lass?"

"He's waking up?"

"I believe so." Ducky came closer and took Eva, bouncing her on his hip as he started to walk around. "Now go on, Jethro will be here in a few minutes and I'll send him up there, too."

Tony didn't need to be told a third time and so with a kiss to the top of Eva's head he was out the door.

Arriving at the ICU, he found several nurses closely watching Tim, but they backed away and let him sit next to the bed. "Hey, Tim, it's time to wake up now. Let me see those green eyes of yours."

It took a few more minutes of coaxing, but eventually Tim's eyes did open and Tony felt like he could finally breathe. Instead of trying to find the words right away, he leaned closer and kissed Tim's face as close to his mouth as the vent would allow. "I thought we had all the time in the world, then I thought you were going to die before I could tell you how I feel."

He wanted to say more, but several doctors arrived and he had to step back to allow them to examine McGee. Tim's eyes tracked him and Tony never looked away, scooting back to the bed the moment the doctors were done.

"He probably won't stay awake for very long. We've given him more pain meds and they will probably keep him out of it for the rest of the day, but with any luck we'll be able to remove the breathing tube tomorrow."

"Yeah, okay." Tony could see that they were right and Tim was already exhausted. He could also see the worry on Tim's face as he leaned closer. "It's okay, Tim. You saved her. Eva's fine, just a scratch on her leg. They won't let me bring her in here, but as soon as you're in a regular room, I will."

Tim shuddered and Tony could see the relief on his face along with the exhaustion and the struggle to stay awake. Tony wrapped his fingers around Tim's and gently squeezed. "It's okay, go to sleep. The more you rest, the faster you'll heal and the sooner we can take you home."

-NCIS-

Over all, it had been a good day. Tim had been asleep again by the time that Gibbs arrived, but hearing from Tony that he'd seemed aware and alert for those few minutes was quite a relief. Now Eva was here, with he and Tony. She was fussy, Tony was jumpy, but it was a start.

Tony had managed to get about half of her dinner down her before he lifted her out of her high chair. Once she was snuggled up against him, she settled down with several fingers in her mouth and her other hand wrapped tightly around the fabric of Tony's shirt. It looked like Tony was in no hurry to take her upstairs and put her to bed, but Gibbs certainly couldn't argue about that.

While Gibbs cleaned up, Tony walked back and forth through the kitchen, talking to Eva. "I know you're missing him, too. You'll get to see him soon, I promise."

By the time the kitchen was clean, Eva was almost asleep and Tony stopped next to Gibbs, rocking gently as she slowly relaxed against him. They kept their voices low.

"The crime scene will be officially released tomorrow and his insurance company has authorized me to handle the repairs. I'll do everything I can to get the house done before he's released from the hospital, Tony. I've already talked to Randy from the flooring company and Seth from the company that did the master bathroom."

"They're the ones that also gave him the estimate on the elevator, right?"

"Yeah. They know McGee, know the house, know how important this place is to him."

"That's good. That's real good. He's already lost enough to this mess." Tony was obviously chewing on something so Gibbs didn't bother to answer, just waited. Eventually, it came. "Did I do the right thing, Boss?"

"The plea bargains?"

"Yeah."

Gibbs thought about it for a moment. They weren't a done deal, that would be up to various district attorneys and JAG, but as the father of one of the victims Tony had given his verbal agreement. "Eva will be an adult before Ziva has a chance to get out of prison and she won't have the stigma of having a terrorist for a mother. No matter how much we protect her, there was always a possibility of that becoming public.

"I'd loved to have stuck it to the Admiral, but drumming him out of the Navy was the best we were going to get, no matter what."

"Yeah." He could tell that Tony was still pissed about that, but when Mossad decided to protect their own ass by killing Ziva's mark, they'd destroyed any chance of proving the link between the Admiral and the attack on McGee. Circumstantial evidence and expired statute of limitations were all they had left. "Besides, Tim doesn't need the stress of that kind of trial. It's going to be hard enough on him to know that Vance and the SecNav read that letter."

"You're going to tell him?"

"Not going to lie to him and he's smart enough to know that something's up."

Gibbs wasn't thrilled, but he knew Tony was right. "What about your dad? Are you going to try and fix things with him?"

Tony's arms tightened ever so slightly around Eva. "If I had a dollar for every time I've forgiven him, I'd be the richest man you know, Boss, but this time... I know it wasn't what he was trying to do, but his refusal to let me live the life I want almost cost my daughter her life. Almost cost Tim his life, might cost him his career. That's not something you do to your own son, at least it shouldn't be. I think this time might be a bridge too far, you know?"

Glad to hear that, Gibbs saluted him with his cup. "Not going to argue with you on that one."

Eva was sleeping soundly and Tony turned toward the front of the house, preparing to take her upstairs. "For both Tim and I, you're more of a dad that both of our fathers put together and right now we're better off without either of them."

Proud of hearing those words, Gibbs watched Tony creep up the stairs to put Eva to bed, tracking his footsteps across the hall to Kelly's old bedroom which was once again filled with toys and love. He waited, and after not hearing any additional movement for almost ten minutes, he crept up the stairs to check on them. Eva was in the crib and Tony was standing there watching her. When Gibbs moved closer he could see the white-knuckled grip he had on the rail.

"Ah, Tony." Gibbs moved closer, rubbing his hand over Tony's until he finally got him to let go. Then he led him back downstairs. He had a suspicion what was going through the other man's mind as they sat down on the sofa. "Talk to me, Tony."

"Sometimes it just hits me, you know? I mean, don't take it personally, but I don't want to be like you, not on this. And I almost was. I'm not strong enough to bury my family and not eat my gun." A sob broke through and Tony buried his face in his hands. "I'm not."

Some days Gibbs could still taste the gun oil in his mouth, but Tony didn't need to know that right now. Instead, he wrapped an arm around Tony's shoulders and pulled him close. "It didn't happen. Eva's fine and Tim's going to make it. It's going to be okay – and for the record, I pray to God you never, ever, have to be like me."

Tony nodded as he took a shaky breath, trying to pull himself back together so Gibbs kept talking. "Tonight you're finally going to get a decent night's sleep and the tomorrow you're going to spend the day with Tim. When he gets that tube out of his throat you can finally tell him how you feel. No more hiding your feelings from him, okay?"

Sitting up straight, Tony looked Gibbs directly in the eye. "I'm done hiding from everybody. If he'll have me, we're going to be as out as he can handle. I love him and he's not Eva's uncle, he's her other daddy."

Despite his determination, there was still a flicker of fear on Tony's face, so Gibbs clapped him on the back as he reassured him. "Good."

-NCIS-

Twenty minutes before visiting hours started found Tony arriving with breakfast for Penny only to find that Ducky had beaten him there. Adding his tray of coffee and bag of pastries to the pile already on the table, he sat down next to Penny and across from Ducky. "How is he?"

"They tell me that he had a peaceful night. I saw him a few minutes ago, but he was still asleep." Penny patted his arm as she stood. "Why don't you go see him? I'm sure Ducky can get you in for a quick visit before they take him off the ventilator. While you're doing that, I'm going to give Sarah an update."

"She's still in Europe, isn't she?"

"Yes. Since by the time my message caught up with her, he'd stabilized, I've suggested she wait and come back next week as scheduled. By the time she would have broken her contract and gotten in a replacement, it would have been almost her end date anyway."

"Makes sense." Tony didn't remember exactly what she'd been hired to do over there, but Tim had been proud of her for getting the job. Honestly, he hadn't been paying too much attention and right now he just wanted to get in and see Tim this morning for himself.

The nurses let him in and he went straight to Tim's bedside, watching him closely, alert the moment Tim started to wake up. A raised eyebrow got the nurse to give them a moment of privacy and he bent down to kiss Tim's cheek, as close to his mouth as the vent would allow.

"I love you, Tim. All those hours you were in surgery, I swore to myself that I wouldn't miss another chance to tell you how I feel. It's not about being straight or gay, it's just pure love and I'm beginning to realize that the best kind. I love you and I want us to be a family – a real family. Eva and her two dads."

Tony could see the joy in Tim's eyes and reveled in it for a moment before reluctantly pulling away, knowing the doctors were behind him, waiting. "That's what I want you to think about while they're pulling that tube out of your throat, okay?"

Tim's eyes were bright as he gave the slightest nod, the tape on his face crinkling slightly as he tried to smile. Dr. Cruz stepped closer. "You'll have to step out for a few moments, Agent DiNozzo, but one of the nurses will come get you as soon as we're done."

"Yeah, okay." Reluctantly, Tony walked out the door, watching over his shoulder as the medical team prepared for the vent removal, one of the nurses giving him an apologetic smile as she closed the door behind him.

From his side of the door, Tony could hear the soft murmur of voices, then some coughing. He was ready and when the door opened back up, he scooted back in the second the nurse gave him the okay.

"Hey." Edging closer to the bed, he reached out and touched Tim's arm. Tim looked beyond tired, but he smiled and croaked out one word.

"Yes."

Tony knew he was grinning like a fool, but he didn't care. He bent down and kissed Tim's forehead, then his cheek before finally pressing his lips against Tim's. Eventually, he pulled back enough to look Tim in the eye. "Sleep, babe. I'll be here when you wake up."

Dr. Cruz and several other doctors were quietly slipping out the door and one of the nurses stepped closer. "Actually, we're going to move him to the step-down unit later today."

That was even better news and Tony's smile widened to the point it almost hurt. "Really? So, our daughter can see him?" He gave her his best puppy dog eyes and she laughed softly and nodded.

"For a few minutes."

He had to step out while they prepared Tim for the move, so Tony happily called Gibbs, asking him to bring Eva to the hospital that afternoon.

-NCIS-

"Dada, Papa. Daaaddaa, Paappaa." Drawing out the sounds, Gibbs finished getting Eva dressed and a diaper bag packed. She'd be spending most of the day at the Vance's while he started the battle with the insurance company, but they'd also be stopping at the hospital.

Gibbs would never tell another living soul how much Tony's breathless call had panicked him, until the younger man had finally gotten all the words out. _Bring Eva, he'll be out of intensive care in a few hours._ The relief had almost made him giddy, but that was a secret between him and his granddaughter.

At the hospital, he had to get directions to a new waiting room, where he found Tony practically vibrating, much to Ducky and Penny's amusement.

"I told him how I feel and he said yes."

That little flash of fear was still there, even though it was not as pronounced as yesterday. Gibbs hugged him tightly, reinforcing his support while glancing over at Penny. She seemed happy at the announcement and Gibbs relaxed, slapping Tony on the back. "Happy for you, Tony. Happy for you both."

Even though the restrictions were lifted, Ducky had suggested that they still take turns, as to not overwhelm Tim. That said, he and Penny slipped down to the cafeteria as Tony led Gibbs down the hall. Arriving at the room, Gibbs took a deep breath as they stepped in. Without the vent, Tim finally looked like he just might survive all of this.

Apparently his exhale was noticeable as Tony looked back over his shoulder and smiled. "Yeah, I know."

Eva squealed and reached for Tim the moment she saw him. "Dapa, Dapa!" To anyone else, it sounded like more of her normal babbling, but Tony did a double-take before smiling at Gibbs.

Gibbs gave a nod as he watched the reunion from the foot of the bed. Tony set Eva down next to Tim, carefully holding her so that she couldn't do any damage. She stared at Tim for a moment before patting his face.

"There's my girl." Tim was obviously exhausted, but they could both watch the tension fading away as he finally got to see that she was alive and relatively unharmed.

-NCIS-

With one arm around Eva and one around Tim, Tony felt a contentment that he'd never known before. He could have stayed like that all day, but he knew that Eva would be getting restless soon and that every wiggle was causing Tim pain, even if he'd never admit it. Finally, he brushed his lips across Tim's forehead and straightened up with Eva. "I think it's time for somebody to go remind Vance's nanny of how easy she has it."

Lifting Eva up, Tony saw the expression on Gibbs' face. "Come on, Baby Girl, let's go change your diaper before Grandpa puts you in your car seat." Diapers were quick, but it would give the other two men a few minutes.

-NCIS-

Gibbs was twitchy. He'd never interfere with the time the new family had together, but every fiber of his being wanted to move closer. Just as he understood what Tony needed, Tony knew the same for him and Gibbs knew exactly what Tony was going to do the moment they made eye contact. "Come on, Baby Girl, let's go change your diaper before Grandpa puts you in your car seat." As soon as Tony stepped away, Gibbs moved up to the head of the bed.

"Hey, Tim."

Too exhausted to answer, Tim just gave a wan smile so Gibbs bent down and cupped Tim's face with his hand. "So proud of you, Son, and I'm so happy for you and Tony, that you have each other now."

Tim's smile widened slightly, but Gibbs could see the joy in his eyes, even as they started to droop. Knowing that he'd be asleep again in just a few moments, Gibbs kissed his forehead. "Now rest. You've got the rest of your life ahead of you."

Tony had finished the slowest diaper change since their first week with Eva, but Gibbs appreciated what Tony had done. With a last glance over to see that Tim had indeed fallen back asleep, He took Eva and the diaper bag. "Stay as long as you want. I've got her, so spend the night here if you'd like."

"You sure?" Tony looked torn, which Gibbs totally understood.

"We'll be fine. He needs you here tonight." That got a nod and Tony kissed Eva before returning to Tim's bedside. Gibbs watched them for a moment, waiting until Tony was settled in the chair next to the bed, bending enough that he could lay his head next to Tim's. Only then did Gibbs slip out the door with Eva.

In the hall he spotted Abby bursting out of the elevator, a woman on a mission. She slowed down to hug Gibbs and he used her own momentum to turn her back around.

Finding herself returning to the elevator, Abby let out a squawk. "Gibbs?"

"Nope. This is Tony's day. You can have breakfast with them in the morning."

A slow smile spread over Abby's face. "They've really figured it out, haven't they?"

"Yep." Gibbs wrapped his free arm around Abby. "Come on, you can have an early dinner with us. I've got an extra steak in the fridge."

* * *

A/N - No post on Saturday. My work day starts at about 4:30 am. Sunday will be decided by when I actually get up, so there might be a chapter, but it won't be super bright and early. Since the site gets really wonky if you don't have a full 24 hours between posts, if Sunday's post is really going to foul up my schedule, I'll just wait until Monday. Two more chapters after this. I've got a chapter done of Catalyst, so I'll be updating on that one next and hope to have it finished pretty soon. Right now I'm writing my Secret Santa story and as soon as that's done, I'll be focusing on Catalyst.

Surgery is still scheduled on the 23, which is Monday. It should actually start Sunday night my time (he's in Germany, I'm on the West Coast of the US), so I should know how he is by my Monday morning.


	37. Chapter 37

The pain was making him fuzzy, but something else was different when Tim woke up. The tube was gone, which was a relief, and the room was quieter. Memories filtered in as he became more aware and he remembered that he was finally out of intensive care. Opening his eyes, he found Tony sharing his pillow, smiling at him.

"Hey." Tony's voice was quiet, as if he didn't want to break the spell.

"You're really here, I didn't dream it?"

"I'm here." Tony reached out and touched Tim's face, his fingers tracing the remnants of the vent tape still on his cheek. "I wasted so much time and now I don't even know what I was afraid of, not really."

Even though it had been years ago for him, Tim remembered how frightening that jump could be. He wanted to explain that, but the arrival of his doctor with a herd of medical personnel stopped their conversation.

"Good morning, Tim, Tony." Tony straightened up, but Dr. Cruz walked around to the other side of the bed so he didn't have to move from Tim's side, which Tim was very grateful. "The nurses tell me that you had a quiet night, so if you're up to it, we'd like to do a full exam and evaluate your progress along with what's next."

"Okay." Tim hoped that it wouldn't take too long, but the arrival of two orderlies to move him suggested otherwise.

Tony finally had to stand to make room. "How long will all this take?"

"We'll have him back in here in a couple of hours."

"I'll go downstairs and have a cup of coffee." Tony slowly moved away, his fingers tangled with Tim's until he couldn't stretch any further. "Take good care of him, okay?"

"We take good care of our heroes around here."

Tim wasn't sure what to make of that. "I'm not a hero."

Tony stepped closer and pressed his finger against Tim's lips. "You are to me."

-NCIS-

Tony waited in the hallway as Tim was wheeled away for an ultrasound exam, a CT scan and then possibly x-rays. Apparently there was damage to his leg that hadn't been repaired yet, but they needed him strong enough and stable enough to handle another round of surgery. After Tim vanished behind a set of double doors, Tony rubbed his cheeks and turned toward the elevator. He wasn't really hungry, but he knew he needed more than just a cup of coffee.

Scrambled eggs, toast and some low-fat, turkey sausage. It wasn't exactly what he wanted, but it was hot and filling and would keep him going until he could get what he wanted – namely something made by he and Tim in their own kitchen.

He ate methodically, not looking up until a shadow fell on the table.

"Dad."

Senior sat down without being invited, probably knowing that the invite was somewhere in the 'when hell freezes over' range. "I know you're probably pretty mad at me right now, Junior."

"Ya' think?" Channeling Gibbs was the only way he was going to get through this. "If I didn't want to deal with the paperwork, I'd shoot you right now, right between the eyes."

"I guess I deserve that."

Tony's anger was enough now that he didn't need to channel Gibbs. "Deserve that? Don't you get it? You set up a team of international assassins to shoot up my home, to shoot my baby, to shoot the man I love."

"Now wait a minute, Junior. I didn't know she was going to go that far. I certainly didn't ask for them to go in with guns blazing."

"And that's the only reason you're not going to spend the rest of your miserable life in prison. But the fact of the matter is that you set this whole thing in motion and that's..." Tony finally stopped and took a deep breath as he looked his father in the eye. "That's something I believe is beyond forgiveness, Dad."

-NCIS-

Arriving at the hospital, Abby was just getting ready to get on the elevator when a familiar figure caught her eye. Double-checking who she saw walk into the cafeteria, she stepped back out of sight and quickly hit the speed-dial on her phone.

-NCIS-

Gibbs tucked his phone under his chin as he wrestled Eva out of her sleeper. "Yeah, Abs, what's up?"

 _I'm at the hospital. Senior's here and he's heading for Tony's table in the cafeteria._

"Shit. Keep an eye on them, I'm on my way." Luckily, he was cleaning Eva up from breakfast so he was able to quickly get her dressed and grab a diaper bag before rushing out of the house.

-NCIS-

"I was just trying to protect you, Junior."

Like hell. "From what? From being a father? Is that something that you hated so much that you didn't want me to ever have to face having a child?"

"What? No, of course not."

"Well then, were you trying to make sure I was never loved? All those ex-wives convince you that love isn't possible? Does the new wife know that you're so turned off by the idea of loving someone?"

That finally got a reaction out of the old man. "He doesn't love you, he's just using you."

Tony couldn't help it, he laughed. "Really? So, exactly how do you figure that? You think he's after my money? What money, Dad? I've got some of the best insurance out there and it just covers a fraction of what Eva needs right now. Tim bought the house, he pays the mortgage, he pays the utilities, the taxes, the homeowner's insurance. Hell, he buys most of the food and probably half of Eva's diapers. All so that I can spend practically my entire paycheck on Eva's care.

"And you know what? It's working. She's progressing faster and further than any of the doctors thought possible. Eventually, she's going to have close to a normal life because of all this intensive therapy now."

Senior was shaking his head. "Okay, I get it, you're grateful, but that doesn't mean you owe him your ass, Junior."

If anything, Tony laughed even harder. "For a man that married more than once just for the money or the connections, that's rich. For you to be accusing me of prostituting myself... let me guess – if it were a woman picking up the tab, you'd be patting me on the back and telling everyone that I'm a chip off the old block, right?" Tony leaned closer, remembering exactly how Dorney had explained it to him. "News flash, Dad, not all gay couples have anal sex. And for as how Tim and I will please each other in bed, that's none of your damned business."

That seemed to take some of the wind out of Senior's sails. "You mean you and he haven't..."

Tony gave a snort as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, making sure to not give a physical reaction to their arriving observer. "Still think he's some evil seducer, spending all those months picking up the tab, taking half of the night feedings, sharing in the bouts of colic, facing down a butt load of armed mercenaries, just for a shot at my ass?"

-NCIS-

Gibbs approved of Tony's reaction, giving the younger man a slight nod as he moved closer and enjoying how much Senior jumped when he spoke in a deliberately cheerful tone. "Hey, somebody was missing her favorite guys." It was a little cool out, but he'd purposefully dressed Eva in a little sundress to show the bandage wrapped around her leg. Gibbs handed Eva over to Tony, who kissed her and snuggled her close while Senior stared at the heavy bandage.

Tony didn't say anything to either of the two other men as he stood and took the diaper bag from Gibbs. "Come on, Sweetie, let's go see Tim." As Tony moved away from the table, Gibbs stepped between he and his father, preventing Senior from following.

Senior blocked, Gibbs watched as Tony made his way to the elevator, where Abby was waiting for him. Once the two of them were behind the metal doors, he turned back to glare at Senior.

Shrinking in on himself, Senior shook his head. "I've really screwed this up, haven't I?"

"First thing you've gotten right." And this time, Gibbs had no intention of helping him fix it.

-NCIS-

Walking toward the elevator, Tony saw Abby waiting for him and everything fell into place, but he didn't say anything until they were inside the elevator and it was moving. "You called Gibbs?"

"Yeah, I saw him walking into the cafeteria, figured you could use the back-up."

Tony kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Abs."

"What happens now?"

"Now, Tim and I figure out the rest of our lives."

-NCIS-

Arriving back on McGee's floor, they found Ducky conferring with Dr. Cruz at the nurse's station, both with serious expressions on their faces.

"Well?" That sounded calm and in control as he waited for an answer.

Dr. Cruz nodded to Ducky. "I'll let you fill him in, while I schedule an operating room for this afternoon."

Calm and controlled went out the window. "Ducky?"

"Now, now, Tony. Under the circumstances, Timothy is doing remarkably well. In fact, he's doing well enough that our focus can shift past keeping him alive and toward what kind of recovery he can expect. This afternoon, Dr. Cruz and several specialists will be attempting to repair the muscles in his thigh."

Tony and Abby looked at each other, he could see his own fears echoed in her expression. She was quicker with the response, though. "He's going to make a full recovery, isn't he, Ducky?"

Ducky was hedging, never a good sign. "I suppose that depends on what you consider a full recovery, my dear. With time and work, he can live a full and comfortable life, but I suspect his days as a field agent are over."

Abby teared up, but Tony had suspected as much. "Does he know?"

"We have not told him in so many words, but I believe so. He knows that his internal injuries were too severe to allow any repair to the damaged muscle in his leg when he was first brought in and I'm afraid he overheard the discussion on just how much damage there was. I'm sure with his degree in Biomedical Engineering, he is aware of the long term difficulties that would cause."

Even without seeing Tim, Tony suspected that Ducky was right. He turned to Abby. "Give me a few minutes with him, okay?"

Abby had to be hurting for her friend and for the asked delay, but she put on a brave front. "Sure, do you want me to take Eva for you?"

Tony shook his head. From now on, they were going to do everything as a family, good and bad.

Standing at the doorway, he watched as Tim wiped his eyes. Knowing how much Tim hated to be seen in any kind of weakness, he made some noise and waited a second before stepping in. "Hey, somebody was missing her morning cuddles." He hung onto her but let her reach out to Tim.

Even though he'd seen her yesterday, Tim seemed relieved to see her again. He touched her face and looked at the bandage that was no longer hidden. "They're sure she's going to be all right?"

Tony settled next to the bed, letting Eva sit between them. "Yep, it didn't even damage the muscle. She's going to be fine. You will, too."

Biting his lip, Tim stared at his leg, the one they were going to operate on again. "They didn't come right out and tell me for sure, but I might not make it all the way back."

He was scared, Tony knew that much, as he tried to reassure him. "You're alive. Anything else we can deal with. If you don't make out into the field, well... at some point, Vance is going to say we're too close and separate us into different teams. I think I'd rather have you behind a desk that having someone else watching your back, you know?" Shrugging, he laced his fingers with Tim's. "Whatever happens, as long as we're together, we'll be okay."

Tim stared at him for a few minutes. "I love you. I've loved you for a long time."

"I know, and I'm sorry it took me so long to wrap my head around all of this – but we're on the same page now."

That got him an amazing smile and Tim squeezed his fingers. "Yeah, we are."

Tony bent close, brushing his lips against Tim's, letting it deepen to a real kiss between lovers for the first time. Eva squealed and clapped her hands. "Dada, Papa."

They both pulled back at the interruption. "Did she just...?"

Tony's grin was so wide that it almost hurt his cheeks. "Luckily, our daughter has your brains."

Both laughing, they kissed again and Eva waved to their audience at the door as Gibbs and Penny joined Ducky and Abby.

-NCIS-

Gibbs couldn't count the number of trips they'd made to the hospital in the weeks since the shooting, but this one was special, they were bringing Tim home. If he hadn't already known that, Tony's vibrations would have given it away. "Too bad you're not excited about bringing him home."

Tony's head snapped around, then he grinned and rolled his eyes. "Very funny, Gibbs."

Ducky was already at the hospital, reviewing McGee's post-hospitalization care with his doctors. He looked up briefly and waved at Eva, who was riding on her father's hip as they walked through the hallway.

Tim was dressed and sitting up in a chair when they walked into the room and this was one time Gibbs really didn't mind being a third wheel. "Hey, Tim."

"Hey, Boss."

"You ready to go home?"

"Sleep in my own bed, take a real shower? Oh, yeah."

Gibbs looked at Tony. "Okay, DiNozzo, you and Eva keep him company while I load the car."

"Sure thing."

The fact that Tony didn't even pretend to feel bad about Gibbs doing all the work made him smile. The journey was far from over, but he was pretty sure they'd turned the most important corner. Tony sat on the edge of the bed, leaning close to McGee, with Eva between them. Gibbs watched the new family for a moment before starting the job of lugging all the flowers and gifts down to the car. Luckily one of the nurses had left him a cart, or this could have taken all day.

-NCIS-

Since Tim was in the chair, Tony settled on the side of the bed closest to him. Eva reached for Tim, so Tony leaned closer. That allowed her to touch him and play with him without Tim needing to hold onto her and let Tony press his head against Tim's. "Look at you, all sitting up on your own, just like our little girl."

"Yeah, I'd tell you what my next trick is, but this just might be the highlight of my activity for the day."

"Baby steps, Tim. You beat the odds and survived. Now we get to take you home and that sounds pretty good. What do you think, sleep in your own bed tonight? Nobody waking you up to ask if you want a sleeping pill?"

That got a chuckle. "That does sound pretty good. Nobody's told me, how bad is the damage there?"

"Structurally, everything is done. The windows were replaced yesterday, that was the last thing."

"Guess my beautiful leaded glass windows are history."

"Nope." Tony grinned at the memory of Gibbs fighting it out with the insurance adjuster before he found a craftsman to do the repairs. "All the leaded glass panels are repaired and they're now the middle section of your new high efficiency, triple pane windows." Tim's shocked expression made his grin even wider. "Don't ask too many details, even the SecNav was involved at one point."

"Wow."

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, the windows are all fixed, the doors are good again, hardwood's been refinished again, carpet's been replaced and all the holes are repaired. We'll have to do some redecorating, but that can wait until you're stronger. I'll even buy you a new battery for your laser level."

Tim smiled, then turned serious. "Abby tells me you were staying at Gibbs' place."

Busted, Tony shrugged. "Well, I didn't want to put Eva back in her room until everything was cleaned up." He stared at Tim's midsection, still remembering the blood pooling up around Gibbs' fingers. "Luckily you don't remember, but there – there was a lot of blood. Maybe," Tony shrugged again. "Maybe we'll move her to another bedroom."

Warm fingers wrapped around his and Tony looked up as Tim gave him a hopeful smile. "You know, my study was originally designed to be a nursery. Maybe you and Eva could move downstairs?"

Tony felt his breath catch in his chest for a moment as another part of his life slid into place. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. I probably won't be up for much, at least for a while, but I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."

"So would I."

They were still smiling at each other when Gibbs returned from loading the car, Ducky in tow. "You ready to go home?"

Tim didn't turn away from Tony as he answered Gibbs. "More than ready."

-NCIS-

The drive home was quiet, but Ducky took charge as soon as the two cars pulling into the driveway. "All right, Timothy, let's get you inside and laying down. I want you to rest for a few hours before you try to be moving around."

He didn't know if McGee agreed because he was exhausted or because he knew there wasn't a choice in the matter, but Tim didn't object when Gibbs and Tony each took an arm and helped him into the house. They went straight back to the bedroom, Ducky following behind with Eva. He was wearing loose sweats so after Tony pulled off his shoes, Tim was able to lay down on top of the blanket. He was already fading, so Ducky just did a quick check on him before herding the rest of them out.

"Is he really okay, Ducky?"

"Yes, Tony, he's just tired. I expect him to sleep most of the day. Just make sure to wake him up when it's time for a pain pill. We don't want him to get off his schedule, especially these first few days."

Tony glanced at his watch. "Next pill's in three hours, right?"

"That's correct. I'll be heading home now, but call me if you need anything or if you have any questions."

"Thanks, Ducky."

Gibbs had Eva and her diaper bag and gave Ducky a nod in thanks. "Appreciate everything, Duck. Tony, Eva and I will be at my place, but we'll bring dinner over later on. Like Ducky said, holler if you guys need anything before then."

"Thanks, Boss. We got him home, that's all I need for right now."

-NCIS-

Tony carefully helped Tim lay back down after swallowing a pain pill. "You comfy?"

"I'd be even more comfortable if you were next to me."

"Yeah? You sure, because I don't want to hurt you?" Even as he asked, Tony was gingerly easing onto the bed.

"Mmm, nice."

Tony was surprised at how well they fit together. "Yeah, it is." He eased closer to Tim and Tim shifted slightly. When they were settled, Tony was spooned up against Tim's back, Tim's head resting on his bent arm. Tony automatically rubbed his cock against Tim's ass, then froze. "Sorry, I didn't mean..."

"It's okay, Tony. That's where we're headed, right?" Tim suddenly looked nervous as he turned enough to look back at Tony.

"Yeah, of course it is." Tony wanted to kick himself for putting that flicker of doubt on Tim's face. Shrugging, he went for total honesty. "I want it all, really, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit I'm a little nervous about the sex. Are you, you know... a top?"

"Yeah. Sometimes."

Surprised, Tony pulled back enough to raise up on one arm to better look at Tim. "Sometimes as in not all the time? Really? You switch? I figured after what happened to you..."

Tim carefully rolled onto his back, signaling that this was going to be a serious conversation. "It took a long time to get over that – but it was not just being afraid of getting hurt like that again, it was being afraid of hurting someone I love. We took a long time to take that step, a lot of experimenting and exploring as to what it was really like to have intercourse and how to pleasure each other. In the long run, what happened to me ended up making us stronger instead of tearing us apart."

Tony thought about that as he settled in closer. His chest was lightly pressing against Tim's, not enough to cause pain he hoped, but enough that he could feel Tim warm and alive beneath him. "Tell me about him."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Tony paused, trying to put it into words. Usually the ex was strictly off-limits in the world of DiNozzo, but this was entirely different. "He was such a huge part of your life, I'd like to get to know him."

It was Tim's turn to think quietly for a moment. "Actually, you remind me of him. He was funny, but there was this inner strength that just drew people to him all the time. He was a couple of years older than I was, but when I got bumped up the second time, we were in the same class. He was always one of the biggest kids in class, used to say he was the brawn to my brain."

Tony smiled, flattered by the comparison. "How old where you when you guys met?"

"Hmm, first time, I guess I was either seven or eight. Our dads were both stationed at the same base, shipping out on the same aircraft carrier, so we were at a lot of the same family functions. That was in San Diego, then we got transferred to Pensacola a couple of months after his family, ended up across the street from each other in base housing. Most of the kids in the neighborhood were teenagers, so we hung out together by default in the beginning. Eventually, his dad was sent to Europe and mine went to Japan, so we became pen pals. Most kids don't keep that up, but..."

"But you guys did."

"Yeah. He was the only person I could really confide in and I was the same for him."

Tony could see that, could see a young Tim that didn't make a lot of friendships, but the ones that he did made were deep and abiding. "When did you guys figure out that you were," he fumbled over finding the right word, "into each other as more than just friends?"

Tim smiled at the question and snuggled closer to Tony. "Both of our families ended up at Norfolk at about the same time and right before Homecoming. "Sam had made the football team, of course, and the coach was threatening to make him the starting quarterback. The upperclassmen really went out of their way to ride him and of course, I was the new geek in school.

"Neither one of us wanted to go to the Homecoming Dance, but our dads made us and we had to escort the daughters of two other officers. Two girls that would have never gotten a date on their own."

Tony had to snicker, then waved his hand in apology when Tim glared at him. "Sorry, go on."

"Yeah, anyway, we double dated, went to dinner before Sam drove the four of us to the dance since he was the only one with a license. His date spent the entire evening moaning and complaining about the boyfriend that she'd had leave behind at her father's last posting and mine must have stepped on my foot a dozen times or more while we were dancing. I just remember looking over at him during one of the slow dances and wishing we were dancing together. By Christmas, we'd admitted it to ourselves."

"But you guys had to keep it hidden, right?"

"Yeah, but we knew and that was what mattered." Tim was fading and closed his eyes. Tony snuggled closer, which allowed him to hear the rest of the fading words. "Just seeing a smile across the room would make everything worthwhile."

After a lifetime of shallow relationships, that sounded pretty good to Tony.

* * *

 **a/n - So, surgery was delayed for 7 hours because the implants weren't sterilized. Can you believe that? At least he's in the operating room right now. I don't even put my characters through that much crap. So, I'm still waiting for word and trying to distract myself by posting today and working on my SeSa story, plus a few others.**


	38. Chapter 38

"There's our little girl. How's she doing, Gibbs?" Elaine dropped everything the moment he walked into the diner with Eva on his hip. A month ago Eva would have squealed and reached for her, today she hid her face in Jethro's shirt. Elaine didn't take it personally, though. "Too many strangers lately for her?"

"Yeah, therapists say that it will take a while before she's no longer scared of anyone outside her family. Tim came home today, so being home with her papa as well as her daddy should help."

Elaine hadn't heard him refer to his boys like that, but it sounded nice. It certainly brought a smile to her old friend's face. "So they've come out of the closet?"

"Something like that. At least they finally figured out they were together."

That made her laugh as she boxed up their food. "Some investigators they turned out to be. Okay, comfort food for three adults and one little lady."

Gibbs was still chuckling over that when he pulled into the driveway. Apparently he wasn't the only person that had spent the last year thinking the boys would eventually get together. Holding Eva and trying to balance dinner, Gibbs saw a door open nearby.

"Jethro, let me give you a hand." George jogged over, holding a pan of some sort. Whatever was in it was hidden by the foil covering. He took the bag containing all the take-out boxes as he continued to talk. "Saw you and Tony bringing Tim home earlier, how's he doing?"

Now that he had a free hand, it was easy to unlock the door. "It'll be slow, but he'll make it. Coming home was a big step."

"I'm sure." George set both the pan and the take-out on the entry table. "Hospital food isn't exactly known for its taste, so Clara sent that over. You tell him to get better, okay?"

Gibbs nodded and George was out the door, leaving him to wonder what that was all about as he peeked at the pan of brownies.

Before he could figure it out Tony arrived from the other end of the house, looking more relaxed than he'd been in weeks. "Hey, Boss."

"Hey, you guys ready to eat? Elaine made up something special for us." Eva transferred from her grandfather to her father, leaving Gibbs with empty arms to carry the food. "Even got a homemade treat."

"Oh, treats from Mrs. Olson?

"No, from Clara Young."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

-NCIS-

"That better than hospital food?"

In answer, Tim just smiled as he licked the last of the pot roast gravy off of his fork.

"Ready for dessert?" Gibbs set the pan on the bed and pulled off the foil. "Clara made you brownies, she and George said to feel better soon."

"Clara?"

Tony grinned as he broke off a tiny piece of brownie and put it on Eva's high chair. "I know, will wonders ever cease?" Once she ate that piece, he gave her another. He'd been a little worried about bringing the high chair into the bedroom, but Tim was missing Eva and he wasn't about to let the recovering man walk further than the bathroom today. As a compromise, he'd taken one of the tarps from the garage and laid it on the floor under the high chair so that no diced carrots would get ground into the pale carpet. "Little lady likes brownies."

"Little lady's going to have a sugar buzz if she eats too much."

Tim was right, of course, but that's not what Tony said. "That's okay, little lady is spending the night with Grandpa."

-NCIS-

Bedtime kisses were given and Tony walked to the door with them to lock up. He returned to the bedroom to find Tim sitting on the edge of the bed, determined to take his promised shower. "You sure you're up to taking a shower tonight? I can go get one of those shower chairs in the morning."

He'd lost track of the number of sponge baths he'd had in the hospital, but they weren't the same as standing under that stream of water, letting the dirt and sweat wash away and down the drain. He knew it was just in his head, but Tim could still feel the dry blood on his skin. "Yeah, I really want one."

The doubt and worry was on Tony's face, but he nodded anyway. "Okay, how about if I join you? That way I can make sure that you don't take a header and undo all that fancy work the doctors did on you?"

That almost sounded even better than the shower and Tim felt his mouth turn up in a smile. "I'd like that, I'd like that a lot."

"Okay, then, you stay put while I get the heat going in there and grab some extra towels."

-NCIS-

Tony nudged the bathroom thermostat up a new notches. There were plenty of towels rolled up in one basket by the tub and washcloths in another. Satisfied with that, Tony went back into the bedroom and grabbed one of the chairs from the sitting area and dragged it into the bathroom. He knew Tim would object to sitting on the upholstery while he was still wet, so one towel was draped over the cushions. Next, he found a bathrobe hanging up in the closet and brought that out as well as a pair of pajama bottoms.

A corner of his mind was nagging him that he'd forgotten something, but whatever it was, he'd just have to manage without it. When he returned to the bedroom, Tim was still sitting up on the bed. "Okay, let's get you up and on your feet."

The toilet was in its own little room and Tony hovered outside the door until Tim came back out and started toward the sink. "You know, you're going to be in the shower in just a minute." Even as he said it, he grinned. Timothy McGee was the only person he knew that could walk into the agency restroom just to deliver a message and then wash his hands before he left.

Tim returned the grin and added a finger before he washed his hands but he looked grateful for the chair when he was finished and was able to sit down. "Thanks, Tony."

A nurse had helped Tim dress before leaving the hospital, and it wasn't until he helped him remove his shirt that Tony realized the heavy bandages were gone. "Oh, God, Tim." His ears felt icy, but he managed to somewhat gracefully drop to his knees in front of Tim instead of falling on his ass; but, judging from the sad smile, Tim wasn't totally convinced.

"It's going to be okay, Tony." Tim sat totally still while Tony's hand barely skimmed over his torso. Fresh, angry scars crisscrossed over his chest and back, even the scars on his side from the chest tube were bright red. Some of the healing wounds were held closed with surgical tape while the larger ones had a mix of black stitches and surgical staples.

Somehow, with Tim sitting there in the bathroom at home, the bright lights seemed to magnify the damage. "I could have lost you. I almost did lose you."

"But you didn't." Tim leaned forward enough to rest his forehead against Tony's. "I'm right here, I'm alive and I'm going to stay that way."

"Promise?"

This time Tim tilted his head enough to brush a chaste kiss across Tony's lips. "I've got too much to live for to do anything else."

Tony returned the brush across the lips. He wanted to deepen it, but he could tell Tim was already tiring. "Let's get you in the shower before you fall asleep on me." Trying to keep his touch clinical, Tony helped Tim to stand and carefully tugged his sweatpants and boxers down before sitting him back down on the chair. He took a good look as he pulled Tim's clothes off the rest of the way. Flaccid, he was about the same size as Tony, the blonde hair at the base looking soft to the touch.

He was definitely overdressed for a shower, so Tony quickly stripped down, tossing his clothes into the laundry basket along with Tim's. About then was when he remembered he didn't have any clean clothes down here. Shrugging, he turned the water on, adjusting it to just the right temperature before rotating the adjusting head to the softest water pattern. Only then did he help Tim into the shower.

"That feel good?"

Tim just stood there with a smile as the water cascaded down over him. "Oh, you have no idea."

He didn't, but that smile gave him a pretty good clue. Tony knew that Tim would tire quickly, so he picked up the shower gel and starting working carefully over Tim's torso, his path broken and twisted as he avoided the still healing wounds.

Some shampoo and he had Tim purring by the time he had a lather on the light brown locks. "How ya' doing?"

"Mmm... feels so good."

"Yeah? I'm glad."

Another handful of shower gel and Tony dropped down to his knees. The first leg was easy to wash, but the damage to Tim's other leg looked a hundred times worse this up close. "God, Tim." In answer, a hand rested on top of his head. Tony understood the unsaid message. I'm here, I'm alive. Nodding, he kissed an undamaged spot as near as he could get to the center of the damage before sitting back on his heels.

There was another part of Tim's anatomy that he was interested in and he decided to focus on that, not allowing the fear and the worry to horn in on their first day home, together. He ran his fingertips up Tim's shaft, then back down, circling around the head.

Tim was smiling, but his legs were also shaking, so Tony stood up and pulled Tim against him so that Tim's back was against Tony's chest.

"Don't stop."

"Don't want you to fall."

"You've got me. I know you'll never let me fall."

A hot rush of something went through Tony and he tightened his arms. His chin resting on Tim's shoulder, he could look down at Tim's body, including the hard dick now standing almost straight out. While he was enjoying the view, Tim wiggled enough that Tony's cock was wedged in between Tim's ass cheeks. "Are you sure? I don't want to rush, you just came home from the hospital."

"I want this. I want to feel this, to know that this is real, that I'm really home and in your arms and not some drug-fueled dream."

Tony started rubbing up against him while stroking Tim's cock. "This is real, Tim, and it's going to be the rest of our lives together." It had been a long time and he could tell neither of them would last long, so he sped up both movements. "When you're recovered, we're going to do this right and for hours."

"Hours?"

"Days." The sensation of feeling another dick in his hands was strange, but Tony couldn't get enough of it. "Gotta make up for all the time we wasted, all those years of being straight."

Tony's dick was between Tim's butt cheeks and he started rocking, stroking Tim's cock with the same rhythm. It felt incredibly good and when the head of his cock rubbed across Tim's hole, Tony got even harder, as did Tim. There was something very erotic about their matching responses and Tony slowly circled his thumb around the head of Tim's cock, watching a bead of fluid form.

This had been the longest that Tony had ever gone without some sort of physical release, and he could already feel his balls pulling up against his body and the tell-tale tingling. Wanting Tim to come first, he sped up and tightened his grasp just a bit. It was enough and just a few strokes later, Tim cried out and Tony followed.

Sagging against him, Tim was suddenly heavy, but Tony hung on, even managing to keep his thumb tucked tightly under the rest of his fingers. As soon as he was sure Tim was stable resting against him, he pulled his hand back and snuck a taste from his hidden thumb. There wasn't a lot of fluid, and it was watered down, of course, but he could taste enough to know he could handle it. That worry down, Tony knew that eventually he'd be able to use his mouth to pleasure Tim.

"Taste okay?"

Busted, Tony let his head drop down onto Tim's shoulder. "Yeah, sorry, I just..."

"Tony, it's okay." Carefully, Tim turned so that they were facing each other. "This is all new for you and we'll go as slow as we need to."

"Eventually, I want everything."

"Everything sounds really good."

Knowing that Tim needed to lay down, Tony shut off the water and carefully helped him out of the shower. Drying off, they ignored Tim's pajama pants before walking back to the bedroom. Once Tim had found a comfortable spot to lay, Tony happily curled up around him. "I'm looking forward to getting used to this."

"Yeah, me too."

-NCIS-

"Good morning. You ready for a pain pill?"

They were so tangled up with each other that it was hard to tell where one of them began and Tim nuzzled his face deeper against Tony's neck. "Don't want you to get up."

"Don't have to." Moving as little as he could, Tony reached over to the nightstand and snagged the pill bottle and a water bottle. "Water's not cold, though."

"That's okay." With some help from Tony, Tim swallowed down a pill and some of the water before Tony shifted them around enough that they were a little more upright.

Leaning back against the pillows, Tim took Tony's hand. "No next morning panic?"

"No, but," Tony waited until Tim was looking at him. "I want to wait on intercourse until our honeymoon."

Wide green eyes stared back at him. "Are you asking me to marry you?"

If you'd have asked him, Tony would have expected to be terrified at this moment, but he felt a calmness he'd never known before. "Yeah, I am."

"Yes." The shy smile widened to total joy. "Oh, yes."

-NCIS-

Eventually hunger and other bodily needs would drive them out of bed, but for now Tony was enjoying the moment as Tim dozed against him. Running his fingers along Tim's hand, he remembered something. "Hey, where's my ring?"

Tim was adorable when he was confused. "What?"

"When I got shot, where's the ring that, you know, you were going to use to prove we were already married?" Those jumbled words brought recognition.

"That was a twenty dollar ring I bought at a pawn shop, Tony. You deserve better than that."

Tony shook his head. "Where is it?"

Tim stared at him for a long minute before finally pointing to a three drawer box on the dresser. "Bottom drawer, in the back."

First easing out from against Tim, Tony bounced out of bed and went to the dresser. The bottom drawer held a variety of older tie tacks that hadn't been worn in years, but in the back he found a small plastic bag and pulled it out. He returned to sit on the bed before pulling the ring out of the bag to study it closer. Yellow gold with a white gold inset, it was very traditional with a touch of flair, very much what he would have chosen for himself.

Slipping it onto his finger, he found it fit perfectly. "You know what this ring symbolizes to me?"

Tony was being very serious and Tim just shook his head, obviously waiting for an answer.

"When I was in a coma, you were willing to commit your entire life to me to keep me safe. No one has ever loved me like that and this ring is the reminder that I want to wear for the rest of my days."

"Oh, Tony."

Tim's eyes were tearing up and Tony leaned down to kiss him. "No money in the world could buy a ring that symbolizes love more than that. On the day we get married, this is the ring I want you to slip on my finger, okay?"

"Okay."

"Soon, but first we're going to get you well." Tony leaned in for another kiss, resting his forehead against Tim's when he finally pulled away. "Back to sleep, babe, we've got the rest of our lives ahead of us."

* * *

 **a/n - They've got the rest of their lives ahead of them and we've got more stories in this universe. The next complete story picks up close to the end of this one. In fact, at one time it was part of this story, but it needed a different tone and feel, so this is where the two broke apart. I've also got some various 'missing scenes' that didn't make the cut for the overall plot - just some day in the life short stories that I'll be posting as I finish them up. I've also got some roughed out stories for the family when Eva is a little older. Some of those dangling plot lines have a reason to still be dangling, after all.**

 **On a more personal note, thank you all for your support. These last few weeks and days have been very difficult and your support has meant the world. After that last seven hour delay, he ended up in surgery for six hours. There was much more damage than they'd expected and they weren't able to place the last screw because the spine was in too small of pieces at that point. It looks like he's facing more surgery, but that's a few months down the road. For now, he's in ICU and stable. He was in a great deal of pain at first, but they've finally hit on a combination of meds that seem to be doing the job. He has movement in his legs and was even able to shuffle a few steps this morning with a lot of support.**

 **This made me laugh and you guys will probably appreciate it too. Before the surgery, people were telling him that he was going to be the Terminator because of all that metal in his back. In the recovery room after the surgery, every time he woke up he'd tell the staff that he must protect John Conner.**


End file.
